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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