By Roy Denish.
Forged NIC bank fraud allegations see ex-lawyer Tamara Kumari Abeyratne remanded until September 7 as the CID widens its investigation.
MAHARA – A former lawyer previously implicated in a high-profile organized crime investigation has been remanded until September 7 for allegedly using a forged National Identity Card (NIC) to defraud a state bank.
Tamara Kumari Abeyratne, who formerly practiced at the Mahara Magistrate’s Court, was ordered to be kept in remand custody by Mahara Acting Magistrate Virendra Kanangakeerthie following fresh allegations of financial fraud.
According to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), the suspect fabricated a counterfeit NIC by altering her actual birth year from 1970 to 1972. Investigators revealed that Abeyratne used the fraudulent identity to open accounts at a state bank branch in Kadawatha. Operating under the false credentials, she successfully secured multiple loans amounting to hundreds of thousands of rupees, having repaid only a fraction of the borrowed funds before her arrest.
During the hearing, Sub-Inspector Hemantha of the CID’s Commercial Crime Investigation Unit (3) informed the court that the investigation into the suspect’s financial activities remains highly active. The prosecution requested a judicial order directing the Credit Information Bureau (CRIB) in Colombo to release a comprehensive background and credit report on the suspect to aid the investigation.
Acting Magistrate Kanangakeerthie granted the CID’s request, issuing a direct order to CRIB to provide all necessary financial history documents to the investigative unit. Police Constable Batagalla assisted the prosecution during the proceedings.
Deepening Legal Troubles
The bank fraud allegations mark the latest in a string of serious legal troubles for the former attorney. Abeyratne was initially arrested and detained by the CID over her alleged involvement with underworld figure “Ganemulla Sanjeewa.” Authorities have previously accused her of providing critical logistical support, including maintaining safe houses and managing illicit funds, to individuals connected to Sanjeewa’s organized crime and murder network.
Financial tracking by the CID earlier this year had already triggered comprehensive audits of several of her bank accounts after authorities discovered a luxury vehicle allegedly purchased using her funds for criminal associates. The newly uncovered forged-ID scheme is expected to widen the scope of the ongoing money-laundering probe against her.
