The Mount Lavinia Magistrate’s Court has set March 7 as the date for filing written submissions on behalf of the aggrieved party in connection with a land fraud case involving the alleged forging of a fake deed for a two-storey building owned by the National Works Institute, which was later leased for Rs. 3.6 million.
During the hearing on February 21, a panel of lawyers representing the aggrieved party, including President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne, submitted to the court that the police had failed to act on two previous arrest orders issued by the court. They argued that law enforcement had misled the judiciary by claiming that the Attorney General’s advice was required before proceeding with the arrests, despite clear court instructions. The legal team asserted that the deliberate inaction by the police had obstructed the judicial process and prevented justice from being served.
According to the B report submitted to the court, Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe provided a statement to the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau, claiming that he had been appointed President of the National Workers Congress Trade Union on September 3, 2017. However, a contradictory report from the Labor Department indicated that the same board of officers, led by Mayura Dharmawardena, had remained in office from 2017 until 2024, raising serious questions about the legitimacy of Samarasinghe’s claim.
Further scrutiny of the lease agreement revealed that the disputed property was leased on February 10, 2020, under the signatures of Herath Mudiyanselage Wasantha Samarasinghe and Rankothgedara Cyril Anandasiri, who were listed as President and Vice-President of the National Workers Congress Trade Union at the time. This document serves as critical evidence in the forgery and fraud allegations against the accused.
During the hearing, President’s Counsel Maithri Gunaratne argued that there was already sufficient evidence to justify the arrest of the suspects and that the police were deliberately delaying the process. The Mount Lavinia Magistrate questioned officers from the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau on whether enough evidence had been obtained to warrant an arrest. The officers responded that no such evidence had yet been uncovered, contradicting the arguments made by the aggrieved party’s legal team.
The Fraud Investigation Bureau further submitted a supplementary report, stating that a separate legal dispute regarding the ownership of the property is currently pending in the Kaduwela District Court. They argued that, given this ongoing case, it was not possible to conclusively establish a criminal offense without further legal clarification. This stance has added to the growing controversy surrounding the case, as the aggrieved party’s legal team maintains that the criminal aspect of the fraud case should not be delayed by a separate civil matter.
The Mount Lavinia Magistrate has scheduled the next hearing for March 7, at which point the written submissions on behalf of the aggrieved party will be filed. Legal experts anticipate that the hearing could determine whether further action will be taken against the accused, including potential arrests. The case continues to generate significant public interest, given the involvement of Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe and allegations of forgery, fraud, and judicial obstruction.
