AG instructs police to take action against State Minister over misappropriation case

The Attorney General has instructed the police to take necessary action under Criminal Procedure Code and produce State Minister Ashok Abeysinghe as a suspect into a case, in which he was charged with misappropriating Rs 215,000 of funds allocated to the Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs, for personal use. 

According to Coordinating Officer to the Attorney General State Counsel, Nishara Jayaratne, the AG had instructed OIC of the Special Investigations Unit of the Kurunegala Police, the Colombo Crimes Division and the OIC of Vehera Police to record statements from State Minister Abeysinghe and produce him in the Kurunegala Magistrate's Court.  

The allegations levelled against the State Minister are committing an offence under Section 389-Criminal Breach of Trust-of Penal Code and the Section 5 (1) of the Public Property Act. There was a magisterial inquiry conducted by the prosecution under case number B-57/2012 in Kurunegala Magistrate's Court over the matter. The prosecution had requested the AG for his opinion over the matter earlier. (Shehan Chamika Silva)