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AISEF Chairman further remanded on charges of subletting, selling CMC property
View(s):Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) Treasurer K.D. Chithrapala reported to the Colombo Chief Magistrate that 392 shops in Bodhiraja Mawatha and 5th Cross Street have been sublet and 12 shops already sold to third parties by tenant-vendors without the CMC’s permission. He also reported that he has issued final notices to the vendors to pay Rs 107 millions in monthly rental arrears immediately.
The report was produced on a directive of the Colombo Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya with regard to the financial fraud allegation against All Island Self Employed Federation (AISEF) Chairman Mahinda Kahandagama, who was further remanded till March 20.
These shops were built especially for the street vendors who lost their locations due to development projects in the Colombo city area. Mr Kahandagama and two others were arrested by the Fraud Investigation Bureau on Feb.9, on a complaint by Ven Uwathanne Sumana Thera that, Mr Kahandagama had illegally collected money from AISEF members by using his assistants.
Mr Kahandagama’s lawyers said the money collected was to pay Security officers, cleaners and to pay water and electricity bills. Chief Magistrate Pilapitiya queried the Rs 600,000 expenditure on protests and public rallies by the AISEF.
Due to objections by Defence Counsel, the Chief Magistrate directed the CMC’s legal officer to seek the Attorney General’s assistance to ascertain the correct ownership of those properties.
The Chief Magistrate released the other two on cash bail of Rs 50,000 and Surety bails of Rs 500,000.
Attorneys-at-Law Lakshan Dias, Thushara Daskon, Manju Sri and Hussain Azhar appeared for the prosecution.