News
Carlton Foundation vehicles found in Colombo 4 land
The aerobic instructor for the former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa was this week questioned by police in connectionwith the find of eight vehicles including two ambulances on an empty land situated at Lauries Road in Colombo 4, police said yesterday.
![Loris-road-pic-Susantha-Liyanawatta](http://www.sundaytimes.lk/150125/uploads/Loris-road-pic-Susantha-Liyanawatta.jpg)
The vehicles found on Lauries Road. Pic by Susantha iyanawatte
Bambalapitiya Police officials said they had recorded the statement of Kanthi Ranchagoda, proprietor of Dance Works Centre in Lauries Road, Colombo 4 since she was in possession of the key to the gate that protected the land.
Acting on a tip-off from residents in the area the police moved in and secured the vehicles that included two mini school bus, a Prado jeep, two ambulances, two three-wheelers and a mini lorry (Dimo Batta) The vehicles were locked and loaded with files and documents, according to police.
Initial investigations have revealed that the vehicles belonged to the Carlton Foundation and they were currently being examined by officials from the Registrar of Motor Vehicles Department (RMV) to trace the original owners.
The Carlton Foundation is known to have been backed by the former first family.
In her deposition to police the aerobic instructress has claimed that she was instructed by a retired Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) to provide access to the vehicles by giving her the key to the gate, police said.
Police are now investigating to ascertain the legal owner of the land and are following leads that it had been acquired by a former VIP under questionable circumstances but stopped short of elaborating further. At present a police guard has been posted at the premises.
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has also been called into assist in the ongoing investigations, police added.
Palitha Athukorale, President of the National Union of Seafarers Sri Lanka (NUSS) who has his office opposite the land said that the vehicles had arrived in a hurriedly driven convoy and drove straight to the land which is surrounded by a high wall with a steel gate.
This movement took place around 2.30 p.m. the day after the Presidential election on January 8, and since then the vehicles remained unattended and unclaimed.
Ms. Ranchagoda told the Sunday Times that she was not aware of the legal owner of the land but refused to elaborate when asked about the key in her possession which was later handed over to Bambalapitiya Police Station officials.
She conceded that Mrs. Rajapaksa was one of her many clients and that it was no secret since everyone in the neighbourhood was aware of that. “However Mrs. Rajapaksa ceased to be a client four months ago,” she added.
Search for missing PSD vehicles: More found in Pitakotte The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is hunting for some 129 vehicles, many in the luxury category, earlier used by officials of the Presidential Secretariat, and have called for cooperation from the general public towards this end, a senior police official said. ![]() The vehicles at Pita Kotte. Pic by Indika Handuwala Since the search for the missing vehicles began shortly after the conclusion of the January 8 Presidential election, some 752 vehicles have already been found from various locations in several parts of the country, he said. Some of the vehicles that had been dismantled were also recovered from various privately owned garages on information provided by the public. He added that among the vehicles recovered were 84 Defender jeeps apparently used by back-up guards attached to various local politicians and officials. In the latest find detectives recovered 53 vehicles from an empty land at Pitakotte in the Mirihana Police Division at the start of this week. The vehicles included 34 cars, 13 jeeps, two vans among other light vehicles. Investigators are probing to ascertain if these vehicles were used for underworld and criminal operations since most of the registration numbers had been removed to prevent identification. They said another vehicle attached to the State oriented ‘Awakening of Senkadagala’ was also recovered from a private garage at a location in Matara. The CID is conducting further investigations with the assistance of regional officials.
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