The individual who paid money to hire a private jet for the group that included a leading drug trafficker, Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne alias Harak Kata, and Panadura Kudu Salindu to travel from Dubai to Madagascar has been identified by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and referred to the Panadura Court.
It is stated that the CID has now identified this person as Nirmana Bandara, who is also known as Herby.
According to Nirman Bandara’s testimony before the court, he had allocated the jet at the instance of a person named Chinthaka Wickramaratne who was involved in his goods and services business.
It has been revealed that Nirman Bandara was born and bred in Kandy and owns a state-of-the-art apartment in Kundasale.
Having come from Kandy to Colombo and led a difficult life, he has gotten involved in various money-making ventures based on the acquaintances he has made over time.
Additionally, Nirman Bandara, who was in Singapore for some time, ran a business importing and selling furniture items from Singapore to Sri Lanka as well. During his tenure in Singapore, he has also invited singers from Sri Lanka and held numerous musical events there.
He has many contacts in the media industry as well as the world of art, including musicians, actors, and actresses. He also had numerous ties with the high-ups in the legal and judicial fields.
In around 2005–2006, Nirmana Bandara was accused of kidnapping a Tamil businessman and extorting 50 lakhs while he was in Singapore. It was reported that several members of the underworld were also involved with him. He had already been detained previously as a result of this incident.
Additionally, it has come to light that he also operates “Undial,” a black market foreign exchange operation.
Police sources said that special attention has been paid by the investigators to ascertain whether the money earned by Harak Kata and Panadura Kudu Salindu has been siphoned overseas through him.
