Sri Lanka - VAT case: Court fixes date to consider bail application

Colombo High Court Judge Sunil Rajapakse yesterday fixed the trial in the country’s massive VAT fraud of Rs. 3.57 billion in the absence of eight accused who have left the country.

Court fixed the trial with the remaining six accused -- A. Gunasiri de Soyza Jayatillake, Ananda Wickremesinghe Ambepitiya, Sinnaiah Subramaniyam, Saludeen Mohamed Ashraff, Mohamed Ismail Riswin and Sahabdeen Abdullah -- who were present in court.

In this case 14 accused were indicted with misappropriation of public funds amounting to Rs. 3.57 billion belonging to the Inland Revenue Department. The offence was said to have been committed between November 15, 2002 and August 15, 2004.

The eight accused who are evading trial by staying away from the country are Rasheed Mohamed Murshida, Bakeer Mohamed Riyaz, Mohamed Zubair Fawzil Avami, M. Maujil Ameer Irshad, Nagoor Adumai Mohamed Nasmi, Mohamed Kamil Kuthubdeen, Abdul Wadood Mohamed Safi and Mohamed Caseem Shafik.

When the case was taken up yesterday the six accused filed applications for bail and the prosecution sought a date to file objections. The court fixed November 23 to consider the bail applications.