Former State Minister and prominent Kandy politician Lohan Ratwatte has been arrested and remanded on charges related to an unregistered luxury SUV found in his possession. Ratwatte faces charges under the Public Property Act, Customs Ordinance, Penal Code, Motor Vehicles Ordinance, and Money Laundering Act, according to the police.
The former minister was presented before the Nugegoda Magistrate last evening, where Additional Magistrate Sanjaya Wijesinghe ordered his remand until November 7.
Chief Inspector Manjula Thushara from the Mirihana Headquarters and Crime Investigation Division OIC Sub-Inspector Nuwan Prabath informed the court that Ratwatte had committed offenses punishable under multiple legal acts.
The Police Media Spokesperson stated that the information about the Lexus SUV was received through hotline number 1997. Upon inspection, authorities found the vehicle at a residence belonging to the former minister’s wife.
The police spokesperson reported, “We are not receiving sufficient cooperation from the former minister in investigating the vehicle. The police have taken custody of the SUV, and a report from the government analyst has revealed that the identification numbers on the vehicle were altered. Furthermore, Customs have confirmed no record of this vehicle being legally imported.”
An inspection by the Department of Motor Vehicles also showed no registration information for the SUV. Investigators have since determined that the vehicle was in use by the former minister and that it is likely an illegally assembled vehicle.
