Summons issued to four persons to appear before special high court next week

The Speical High Court issued summon notices to four accused to appear before the Permanent High Court at Bar on August 9 — the first to be summoned before the special HC set up to speedily prosecute those accused of large scale misappropriation of state funds.

The four are former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Chief of Staff Gamini Sedara Senarath, who also served as chairman of Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC), the SLIC’s former Managing Director Piyadasa Kudabalage, the SLIC’s former director Neil Bandara Hapuhinna and another suspect K.L. Lasantha Bandara.

The charges have been filed under the Penal Code, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Public Property Act.
The time period within which the offences were committed ranges from February 1, 2014 to January 20, 2015. The offences relate to the transfer of Rs. 500 million from Litro Gas to Canwill Holdings Pvt Limited.

However, according to the charge sheet, the money had instead gone into the account of Helanco Hotels and Spa that backed the proposed Hyatt hotel in Hambantota. The first instalment of Rs 50 million had been transferred on February 14 while Rs 450 million was sent on February 19.