A landmark High Court ruling exposes a calculated land fraud scheme, jails a lawyer and manager, and sends a powerful warning about property scams and professional misconduct in Sri Lanka.
The Chilaw High Court has delivered a stern judgment that has shaken confidence within the property market and legal fraternity alike. A lawyer and a landowner’s manager have been handed lengthy prison terms after being found guilty of forging deeds and unlawfully selling land that did not belong to them. The ruling has reignited national concern over land fraud, forged documents, and the vulnerability of property transactions in Sri Lanka.
Delivering judgment on February 18, the court ordered both defendants to serve 16 year sentences, to be completed within 10 years, following convictions on three charges related to fraudulent documentation and the illegal sale of thirty perches of land owned by a resident of Waikkal. In addition to imprisonment, each offender was fined Rs. 180,000 and directed to pay Rs. 800,000 in compensation to the aggrieved party. The court further ruled that failure to settle the compensation would result in an additional year of imprisonment, reinforcing the seriousness of financial restitution in criminal justice.
Investigations led by the Criminal Investigation Department uncovered what authorities described as a wider land scam involving 26 separate parcels covering more than three acres. These lands had allegedly been subdivided, processed, and sold through forged deeds. According to investigators, documentation was manipulated to create the appearance of lawful ownership transfers, undermining public trust in land registration systems and property law safeguards.
The case was filed under the direction of the Attorney General’s Department and resulted in 26 separate indictments against the accused. Prosecutors argued that the scheme reflected a deliberate abuse of professional responsibility and a calculated attempt to exploit public confidence in the legal custodianship of property documents. The courtroom submissions emphasized that such professional misconduct strikes at the heart of legal ethics and fiduciary duty.
During final arguments, the prosecution stressed that the misconduct represented a grave betrayal of the legal profession. Citizens routinely entrust lawyers with safeguarding deeds, contracts, and other sensitive legal records based on longstanding expectations of integrity. The state urged the court to impose a strong and deterrent penalty to protect public confidence in land ownership systems.
Legal analysts now view the ruling as a decisive judicial response to document fraud and property scams that have periodically surfaced in regions such as Mahawewa. The judgment sends a clear message that forged deeds, land fraud, and professional misconduct will attract serious criminal consequences in Sri Lanka.
