Hayleys MGT fraud suspects remanded

Tuesday, 31 May 2011 00:48 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The prime suspects in the Hayley’s MGT Knitting Mills fraud case, which has been dubbed as the biggest fraud in a listed manufacturing entity, were remanded yesterday for two weeks by the Magistrate of the Mathugama Court.

The prime suspect, former Joint Managing Director Bandula Weerasinghe had been arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) earlier in the day and produced before the Mathugama Magistrate along with the former General Manager of Stores.

Extensive evidence gathered thus far was reported as amounting to over Rs.350 million by the CID who cited Bandula Weerasinghe as the chief suspect responsible for and masterminding an unprecedented fraud in the fabric industry of Sri Lanka. It was reported to the Mathugama Magistrate that vast quantities of fabric were unaccounted for, had been sold illegally, that accounts had been falsified and numerous other allegations were currently being investigated into at present.

Since December 2010, the preliminary investigations pertaining to the fraud and the forensic audit were conducted under the direct guidance and supervision of Mr. Jeevantha Jayatilake (Attorney-at-Law) and his legal team on behalf of Hayley’s MGT and the gathered evidence was thereafter handed over to the Commercial Crimes Division of the CID, who recorded numerous witness statements and gathered more evidence which was produced before the Mathugama Magistrate.

Sgt. Mahroof of the CID was supported in his prosecution by President’s Counsel Tilak Marapana with Mr. Jeevantha Jayatilake (Attorney-at-Law) and Mr. Janaka Marapana and Mr. Tazio Ratnayeke (Attorneys-at-Law) who appeared on behalf of the Hayley’s Group of Companies. Mr. Tilak Marapana P.C. laid emphasis that this is a defrauding of a public quoted company and that extensive and detailed investigations had been conducted over a period of six months, into every aspect since the initial stock loss was discovered by the Hayley MGT Board.

This is latest development in the investigation by Hayleys MGT Knitting Mills Plc which suffered its first ever loss in 2010/11 financial year following an estimate approximately Rs. 700 million provisioning. As per provisional results released, Hayleys MGT Knitting Mills reported a Rs. 800 million loss in comparison to a re-stated profit figure of Rs. 367 million in 2009/10.

In the B-Report presented to the Mathugama Magistrate the CID revealed that extensive evidence had been found to implicate the chief suspect in the fraud.

The Mathugama Magistrate refused to grant bail to Bandula Weerasinghe and Roshan Gunaratne and they were placed in remand custody until June 13.