(COLOMBO, LANKAPUVATH) –Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday reiterated that the investigations into the encashing of cheques by certain individuals and handing over the money to officials of the Presidential Secretariat on the eve of the 2015 Presidential election has not been halted.
Addressing the United National Front Parliamentary Group at Temple Trees yesterday, the Prime Minister added that media reports that this investigation has been halted is not true.
The Prime Minister added that he had a meeting with the Inspector General of Police,
Deputy Inspector General of Police handling the investigations and the Attorney General yesterday and these officials insisted that the investigations are still continuing.
“The Special Investigation Unit of Sri Lanka Police on May 9, 2016 started investigations into a complaint received from Dissanayake Mudiyanselage Sarath Dissanayake over the alleged encashing of cheques from several banks on the eve of the 2015 Presidential election,” the Prime Minister added that it was revealed during the investigations that 82 such cheques had been allegedly encashed from several banks during the period beginning from December 1,2014 to January 8,2015 and the money amounting Rs.1,393 million handed over to the officials of the Presidential Secretariat.
He added that the cheques allegedly issued by the China Harbour Company also included and the investigation report has been forwarded to the Attorney General.
“Investigations are going on under the direct supervision of Deputy Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda and the investigation has not been halted,” he said.
The Prime Minister said that the Central Bank of Sri Lanka had sent a Standard Chartered Bank cheque to the Criminal Investigation Department requesting them to investigate its authenticity.
He said that this investigation is also continuing and investigators have received some evidence and more evidence is expected.
