Depositors protest outside the Golden Key head office on Monday. (Right) A protestor puts up a notice inside the office. Pix by Dinuke Liyanawatte. |
|
The crisis of the collapsed Golden Key Credit Card Company reached a new high on Monday when hundreds of angry depositors staged another massive protest in front of the company’s head office at Duplication Road Colombo and forced themselves into the office.
They stormed into the office and demanded officers to refund their deposits or to give a date of repayment. They also chanted slogans against Golden Key management including Chairman Ceylinco Consolidated Lalith Kotelawela while pasting and displaying posters and placards carrying slogans accusing the directors of fraud and mismanagement.
Several depositors who participated at the protest told The Sunday Times FT that after their protest, they walked to the nearby Ceylinco Consolidated office at De Fonseka Place at Bambalapitiya to meet Mr Kotelawela but were not given an opportunity to meet him by his officials and security guards.
A Buddhist priest, a depositor who was present on the occasion, vowed to take drastic action if the Golden Key management failed to give an undertaking to depositors.
The delay in the refunding of deposits has caused panic among Golden Key customers including top politicians, government officials, artistes, sportsmen, media personnel and professionals like doctors and lawyers. Adding to the controversy is the news that the two persons who invested large sums of money in Golden Key are two prominent Buddhist priests. They also urged the authorities to divulge the modalities of the proposed trust which is to be set up to refund the money in accordance with the assurance given by the Golden Key Chairman to Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court.
|
E-mail