The CID today informed Court that details pertaining to 44 vehicles belonging to the presidential secretariat were not recorded in the documents at the presidential secretariat.


 The CID, which is investigating the missing vehicles belonging to the presidential secretariat informed Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage and said following Court action initiated soon after the presidential election detectives were able to recover seven other vehicles for which the former Presidential Secretariat Transport Director was accountable.


The CID said it was unable to find any document in respect of 44 vehicles because they were not listed in the inventory.


 Meanwhile, former Presidential Secretariat Transport Director Keerthi S. Dissanayake who was arrested in connection with three missing vehicles belonging to the presidential secretariat was yesterday remanded till February 25 by Magistrate Thilina Gamage.


The CID alleged that the suspect had served as the transport director at the presidential secretariat from 2008 to January 9, 2015 and had to account for three vehicles including a bulletproof Benz car, a kyron jeep and a motorcycle which had gone missing.


The CID said the suspect had failed to take necessary action regarding a report issued by an accountant in December 2010 where he was asked to take action regarding eight missing vehicles belonging to the presidential secretariat.


 Meanwhile, President’s Counsel Kalinga Indatissa appearing for the suspect said there was no evidence to prove that his client had misappropriated the vehicles.


 “He cannot be charged under criminal misappropriation because he has no criminal responsibility,” the defence counsel said.


However, the Magistrate observed that the suspect had allegedly allowed others to misappropriate the vehicles and thereby he too was accountable for misappropriation even though not directly involved. The suspect was remanded till February 25 and the CID was directed to file a report on that date.  (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)