CID yet to release production items of VAT case

An aggrieved party of the controversial VAT case alleged that they were yet to receive inventory receipts of the confiscated documents belonging them even though a court order had been issued to do so one year ago.

On December 2016, The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court had issued an order directing the CID to release the inventory receipts of the confiscated documents belonging an aggrieved party of the controversial VAT case, which were mixed them up with the production items of the VAT case.

The Chief Magistrate’s Court had made this order consequent to a request by counsel appeared on behalf of Mrs. Shirani Anoma Wettasinghe Dullewa an aggrieved party of the controversial VAT case, the inventory receipts of the confiscated documents be released to them in accordance with High Court judgment.

An aggrieved party of the controversial VAT case alleged that the Criminal Investigations Department was yet to release the inventory receipts of the confiscated documents belonging to them, which were mixed them up with the production items of the VAT case.

On October 3, 2014 the Colombo High Court ordered the release of the receipts of the confiscated documents belonging to Mrs. Shirani Anoma Wettasinghe Dullewa and her son, a third party, after delivering the judgment of the main case.

A letter forwarded by the secretary to the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) had also maintained that the certified copies of the inventory receipts (Confiscated 37 documents) could be handed over to Mrs. Shirani Anoma Wettasinghe Dullewa after delivering the judgment.

However, the aggrieved party observed that even though more than two years have passed after delivering the judgment, the CID was yet to release the inventory receipts.

Filing an affidavit before Colombo High Court, Mrs. Dullewa had stated that a large number of deposit certificates belonging to her and her son Upendra Wettasinghe Dullewa were found among the production items of the VAT case.

She requested Court that an order be issued to release the deposit certificates belonging to her and her son if they were not relevant to the VAT fraud case (4027/7) and unless included in the witness list.

On a previous occasion, counsel appearing for the aggrieved party informed Court that the money his clients earned from overseas had been deposited in Treasury bills with the approval of the Central Bank and the relevant documents pertaining to the deposited money were taken into CID custody.

The counsel said these documents were not relevant to the VAT fraud case and the CID might have mixed it up with the VAT case documents.

In this case, the 14 accused were indicted on 34 charges including misappropriation of public funds amounting to Rs. 3,996,008,151 belonging to Inland Revenue Department before the Colombo High Court. The offences were said to have been committed between November 15, 2002 and December 15, 2004 along with late Neville Shantha Waththegedara. 

 

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