The owner of the building that was under construction, adjoining the building that collapsed on Wednesday in Grandpass, had reported to the Grandpass Police yesterday. The police had recorded a statement from him.
The National Building Research Organisation had inspected the collapsed building yesterday, while the report by them pertaining to their findings is expected to be handed over to the police shortly.
Seven people, including the owner of Adam Expo, a spice exporting organisation, died in the building collapse, on Wednesday, while two others who sustained serious injuries in the collapse are currently receiving treatment in the ICU of the Colombo National Hospital.
Meanwhile, a niece of the deceased owner of the collapsed building, Farida Abir giving evidence before the Colombo Coroner’s Court yesterday, during the inquest said she suspected her brother of being behind the collapse of the building. She said her uncle, Thahir Abbas Gulamhusein, had lodged a complaint on the morning of the incident at the CID through his lawyer over a financial transaction of the company and this incident had happened that same afternoon.
She alleged that her brother had forged the signature of her uncle fraudulently together with another person and obtained over Rs.50 million from various institutions. Hence, she told court that she suspects that her brother directly had a hand in the building collapse.
A team comprising Consultant Colombo Judicial Medical Officer S.D.Channa Perera, W.A.C. Lakmali, Sasani D. Mallawarachchi, K. Wasuthewa, N.I. Hapugoda and Ali Haron conducted the post-mortem examinations on the seven victims of the collapsed building.
Further in her evidence, Farida Abir said her uncle Thahir was married and had two children. She said her uncle was the Managing Director of the spice export business, which is known as Adam Expo.
The other partner in the business had been her father who had died earlier.
However, cases had been filed at the district court and the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court over the properties.
Based on evidence and the relevant medical reports, the Colombo Inquirer into Sudden Deaths M. Ashroff Rumi had decided to accept her evidence and ordered police to produce the Government Analysts Report and the Engineers Report of the building, in court on March 7.
Those killed in the building collapse were, Thahir Abbas Gulamhusein (51), Dorairajah Lalitha (44), Ellaman Rajeswari (46), Shaul Hameed Naleema (63), Jeyaram Sujeewa Anath (42) and Adigamage Kasun Dhananjaya (19).