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Public Trustee quizzed over Pramuka ‘Gold’

By Tania Fernando
The CID has quizzed the Public Trustee's Department on why it invested millions in the liquidated Pramuka Bank instead of going to state banks.

Detective said they had questioned Public Trustee N S A S Seneviratne on 'Gold Certificates," which were allegedly issued by the disgraced bank to those who deposited money.

They said they were probing claims that the Gold Certificate was a form of commission.

It is alleged that several top government officials had received Gold Certificates or commissions from Pramuka for depositing state funds.

The detectives said Pramuka officials had camouflaged the Gold Certificates but evidence was available to identify the officials who had received the commissions.

They said more officials would be questioned and the Attorney General's advice sought on what action to take.

The Commission probing bribery and corruption is also looking into why the Public Trustee invested so much money in the Pramuka Bank.

Meanwhile, the CID is awaiting information from Interpol as to the whereabouts of Pramuka Chief Executive Officer Rohan Perera, who got away before the bank crashed into liquidation.

The Pramuka Savings and Develpment Bank which began with a bang and attracted thousands of depositors, ran into deep trouble later and its operations were suspended by the Central Bank which later decided to liquidate the bank.

Rival parties say abductions continuing

LTTE rivals have complained to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission on Friday that at least 30 of their political activists in the east had been abducted by the Tigers during the past month, while general harassment and intimidation were continuing.

The complaints were made by representatives of the the EPRLF (Vartharaja Perumal Wing), the EPDP and the PLOTE at a meeting with the head of the SLMM's Batticaloa branch. The LTTE had been invited for the meeting, but its representatives did not turn up.

An SLMM official in Batticaloa said its area chief had gone to Kokkadicholai to take up the complaints with the LTTE.

The LTTE rivals said that though they were assisting the security forces, they were also political parties and the LTTE must keep its pledge to allow political diversity.

The meeting came after the LTTE reportedly distributed leaflets in the east calling on youth to join the Tigers instead of associating with other parties or the Army.

Heads to revolve, not roll

Housing and Estate Infrastructure Minister Arumugam Thondaman will be reshuffling the heads of institutions that come under the purview of his ministry tomorrow.

The minister said he had been monitoring the activities of the chairmen for the past year and had decided that some of them will be able to perform better in another place than in the place they are presently in.

"None of those who hold positions will be left out in the reshuffle. They will be appointed again to positions on Monday" the minister said.

The NHDA, BMC, Water Board, State Engineering Corporation and Land Reclamation Board are reported to be some of the institutions that would have a change of chairmen.


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