Former SLTB chairman, Shashi Welgama and one time spare parts supplier to the SLTB, Nandana Priyantha who were arrested by the CID in connection with Rs.125 million misappropriation taken place at SLTB, were ordered to be further remand till December 26 by Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris today.
According to the prosecution, the first suspect, Nandana Priyantha who was a supplier to the SLTB had been given tenders to supply spare parts to the SLTB respectively in 2010 and 2012. However, he had allegedly not supplied spare parts comparable to the advance payments made to him by the SLTB.
The CID alleged that the first suspect had submitting forged documents in three occasions requested SLTB officials to permit his payments fraudulently in line with the procurement procedures.
The prosecution said the second suspect, Shashi Welgama as the then chairman of SLTB had recommended the forged documents provided by the supplier to the Finance Department of the SLTB by approving them fraudulently.
The CID arrested the suspects on charges under the Penal Code and the Public Property Act over Criminal misappropriation, breach of trust and the misuse of state funds.
Appearing for the second suspect, Kalinga Indatissa PC moved exceptional circumstances to obtain bail for the suspect as there is a need of special reasons to grant bail when Public Property Act is involved in alleged offences.
President's Counsel submitted three exceptional circumstances as he said there was no sufficient evidence provided by the prosecution against his client to prove any involvement with the first suspect in a fraudulent manner, because his client had only recommended three letters received to him by the first suspect to the financial division by citing the endorsement as to act accordingly to the prevailed law in the SLTB. And the original letters are also missing and not produced in court.
He said it was the responsibility of the Chief Financial Officer to examine before releasing money to the supplier.
Counsel also said that the SLTB had already filed civil law suit in Colombo Commercial High Court against the first suspect but had not cited his client as a responsible party in that case. He also moved a health condition of the second suspect as an exceptional circumstance as the suspect said to have under gone a surgery and therefore needed to be monitored continuously.
Subsequently, the Magistrate fixed December 26 to deliver an order base on the legal provisions as to consider the granting bail for the suspect.
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