Litro Gas Chairman arrested

9 October 2017 08:03 pm - 16 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Litro Gas Chairman Shalila Moonasinghe was arrested by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) today in connection with the alleged transferring of USD 1.1 million from Far Eastern International Bank of Taiwan to his personal account in Sri Lanka, CID sources said.

Moonasinghe, who was appointed as the Litro Gas Chairman by the then Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake in 2015, is being interrogated by the CID officials, the sources confirmed.

According to reports, the Far Eastern International Bank of Taiwan was hacked and US$ 60 million was wired to the accounts of several suspects at a bank in Colombo.

The CID earlier launched an investigation into the incident and made the first arrest on Friday.

The first suspect was arrested while attempting to withdraw Rs. 80 million from a local bank account. The first suspect had withdrawn Rs. 30 million from the said bank account on Wednesday too.

The Far Eastern International Bank last week said, through the planted malware, hackers conducted virtual transactions to move funds totaling nearly US$60 million from customers' accounts to destinations such as Sri Lanka, Cambodia and the United States.

Meanwhile, Taiwanese media reported that Taiwan's Criminal Investigation Bureau (CIB) was preparing to send investigators to Sri Lanka to seek further details on the arrest of the suspects accused of helping hackers stealing millions of US dollars from the bank.

On Saturday, Far Eastern Bank said it had recovered most of the stolen money and that its losses would amount to no more than US$500,000.

The bank said it noticed some irregularities in its computerized transaction system on Tuesday and then discovered that some of its computers and servers had been infected with malware.

The Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication's (SWIFT) network was also compromised, which allowed the hackers to wire money to international destinations such as Sri Lanka, Cambodia and the United States, Far Eastern Bank said.

Meanwhile, Colombo Additional Magistrate Jeyaram Trotsky today issued an order to the controller of Immigration and Emigration by proscribing the foreign travels of Shalila Moonasinghe as requested by the CID in connection with the Taiwan bank heist.

As the information has been received that Mr. Moonasinghe, who is a resident of the address 441/12B, 6th lane, Ethul Kotte was attempting to go abroad from Mattala or Katunayake airports after evading arrest without assisting in the investigations relating to this incident, court has issued this order after accepting the request made by the CID.

Earlier, the first suspect Janaka Chaminda Nammuni, a resident of Fairway Apartment on Buthgamuwa road , Rajagiriya was arrested on the allegation leveled against him was getting transferred to his bank account in Sri Lanka a large sum of money belonging to a Taiwan bank.

The CID launched the investigation following a complaint made by Bank of Ceylon about this fraudulent money transaction on October 6.

Who is Shalila Moonesinghe?

Shalila Moonesinghe, is the leader of the New Democratic Front (NDF) under whose nomination President Maithripala Sirisena won the January 2015 Presidential election under the symbol of the ‘swan’. It is currently a constituent partner of the United National Front.

According to Wikipedia, then General (Rtd) Sarath Fonseka contested for the 2010 presidential election from the New Democratic Front, which was founded in 2009 led by Mr. Moonesinghe.

By Darshana Sanjeewa and Nimanthi Ranasignhe

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Comments - 16

A W Abdulkany Monday, 09 October 2017 10:28 PM

Chairman of state institution become multimillionaire overnight. Shame shame

ChollaBada Monday, 09 October 2017 10:42 PM

Now we have international law. Nice!

Premalal Tuesday, 10 October 2017 09:07 AM

Yahapalana Gas is let out of this government.

BuffaloaCitizen Tuesday, 10 October 2017 09:33 AM

Phew, country of crooks... both past, present and future.

samayang Tuesday, 10 October 2017 09:39 AM

Appointed by the then Finance Minister of the yahapalanaya government, leader of NDF wow!!! This is democracy. Curioser and curioser.

Nic Tuesday, 10 October 2017 10:06 AM

"Birds of a feather flock together" This guy - now proved a thief - appointed Chairman by one of the biggest thieves, bribe takers, thugs in SL!!!! Who else is next ?

nanda Tuesday, 10 October 2017 10:28 AM

the entire yahapalana gang must be arrested for the crimes they committed during the last two years against our country and people. Are the SLFP ministers still wearing cloths?

Rasheed Tuesday, 10 October 2017 11:16 AM

Nanda, there is no difference between two group, problem is that UNP does't know to rob without getting caught.

Sri Wickrema Tuesday, 10 October 2017 02:13 PM

But there is a difference. All these crooks are brought to book. In the previous regime crooks were at large.

malij Tuesday, 10 October 2017 12:13 PM

Most probably, this transaction also must have done by his wife and daughter without his knowledge. Poor guy. After all he is a busy man (like our former Finance Minister) being a Chairman of a Company!

Nalin Tuesday, 10 October 2017 01:19 PM

It will be interesting to go further back in time to find out whether this crook was a school/class mate of Ravi K.

Sunil Tuesday, 10 October 2017 01:25 PM

The entire regime has only one way to go. Out.

Ronnie Bugger Tuesday, 10 October 2017 01:37 PM

Ravi k. YOUR DAYS ARE NUMBERED.

Ravi Tuesday, 10 October 2017 01:50 PM

Incredible! It seems majority at the top are absolutely corrupt in Srilanka.

jaliya Tuesday, 10 October 2017 02:18 PM

When you see his face you can hand over the doc's to CID. He looks more like a terrorist than a Chairperson in an institution.

K. Barry Tuesday, 10 October 2017 02:41 PM

Hello daily Mirror..Here is the Facebook of his wife Amali Moonesinghe. Nee Ratnayake. https://www.facebook.com/amali.moonesinghe Also Is M.C. Nemmuni is the son of retired Major General Jaliya Nemmuni's son. Please confirm.

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Litro Gas Chairman arrested

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