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Public Trustee, others face charges in Pramuka scandal
By Shanika Udawatte
CID detectives probing the Pramuka Bank crash claim they have gathered substantial evidence against Public Trustee N. S. A. S. Seneviratne on allegations that he had obtained 'Gold Certificates' from the bank after investing public money.
He is among 30 top state officials being probed by the CID for allegedly obtaining 'Gold Certificates' -- a form of commission in return for depositing millions of rupees in public money in the Pramuka Bank, which crashed amidst a financial scandal last year.

The detectives said they had completed investigations on the conduct of the Public Trustee and would be consulting the Attorney General on legal action against him and other public officials. In addition to the Public Trustee, former Western Provincial Minister Prasanna Ranatunga and Sri Jayawardenepura Hospital chairman Chandima de Silva are among those who have been questioned.

The detectives said there was evidence that the Public Trustee had allegedly received 'Gold Certificates' valued more than Rs. 1.9 million while Mr. de Silva got about Rs. 165,000 and Mr. Ranatunga Rs. 50,000.

Officials of the Rubber Research Institute (RRI) in Agalawatte, Navy, Sri Lanka Telecom, Road Development Authority, Mahaweli Consultation Bureau and Co-operative Rural Development Banks and the Jayewardene Cultural Centre also have been questioned on the 'Gold Certificates'.

Two Navy officials are alleged to have received upto Rs. 200,000 for depositing money from the navy welfare and benevolent funds. Two officers of the RDA are alleged to have received certificates to the value of Rs. 80,000 while Rs. 60,000 was given to an RRI accountant.

The detectives said that the 'Gold Certificates' were cleverly worked out by the bank to hide the identity of the recipients, but the CID managed to crack the code. The Pramuka Savings and Development Bank, which began with a bang and offered huge interest rates on deposits, crashed in shame and shambles amidst allegations of high-level collaboration in fraud and leaving thousands of depositors in crisis.

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