Asela Kuruluwansa –
The Special Crimes Investigation Division of the Kandy Police has arrested nine employees of a Sampath Bank branch in Kandy, including a manager and a chief executive officer, in connection with an alleged multi-million rupee fraud involving forged documents and the inflation of a borrower’s loan amount.
The arrests were made following a complaint lodged with the Special Crimes Investigation Division by businessman Ranjith Chandrasiri, who had obtained a loan of Rs. 35 million from the bank.
According to the complainant, the bank employees had allegedly been carrying out the fraud for several years by entering amounts higher than the actual loan obtained under his name using forged documents. He further stated that despite repeatedly requesting the bank’s top management to conduct an investigation and ensure justice, no proper inquiry had been carried out.
Police said the arrests were made after the Government Analyst confirmed that the documents prepared by the bank officials had been forged. The confirmation came nearly two years after the complaint was initially filed.
Further investigations are being conducted by a team led by the Officer-in-Charge of the Special Crimes Investigation Unit, Chief Inspector Herath, under the instructions of Kandy Division Senior Superintendent of Police Anuruddha Bandara Hakmana.
