Welisara Magistrate releases Sathosa garlic scam suspects on bail, despite CID objections

By Mangala Madurapperuma

Welisara Magistrate Heshantha de Mel on Thursday granted bail to five suspects (four males and a female) taken into custody by the organised crime investigation unit of the CID over the Sathosa garlic scam.

The suspects are Ranasinghage Sirimal Fernando- Senior Manager (Supply), HW Sameera – Shop Manager (Welisara), Nuwan Lakmal, Chamila Jayanti Asuramanne (Deputy General Manager Lak Sathosa – Purchasing) and Deepak Kumara Wasamji, the businessman who purchased the stock of garlic.

The suspects were not produced in the court owing to the pandemic. Their statements were obtained via zoom.

The CID officers objected to the request of the counsel for the suspects for bail. The officers informed the court that the investigations into the alleged data manipulation in the computer system of the Lak Sathosa were in progress. They also opposed the bail application on the ground that several more suspects had to be taken into custody, and an investigation connected to the scam was pending at the Colombo Port and statements had to be recorded from several others.

Magistrate Heshantha de Mel ordered that the five suspects be released on Rs 100,000 cash bail each and two sureties worth five million rupees each. They were ordered to surrender their passports and be present at the CID on the last Sunday of every month.

The Magistrate permitted the request by the CID to keep a sum of Rs 74 million under the court custody till the case was over.

Kalinga Indatissa PC and Nimanka Jayatunga appeared for the suspect Deepak Kumar Wasamji. Twenty five lawyers including Sampath Mendis PC, Sajeewa Ganegoda, and Nalinda Silva appeared for the other suspects.