STF officer goes missing, half a million cash shortfall found in the Fund under him

By Suranga Rajanayaka

An Officer of the Gampola STF (Special Task Force) camp who was in charge of the finance branch has been missing since last Saturday, and a cash shortfall of Rs.577,200 has been found in the fund under him.

Commanding Officer Chief Inspector Nalinda Kumara Udaramba has lodged a complaint in this regard with the Gampola Crime Investigation Branch.

He has stated that the officer concerned has been missing from the camp for three days and that the cash collection in his custody was short of Rs. 577,200. It was money meant for the clearance of payments to the canteen, subsistence allowances, and wages of labourers.

Investigations revealed that he had on Saturday travelled to the Gampola bus stand with two PCs and left them behind with the promise to return.

Police said the IP was married to a Grama Niladhari and that she had made a complaint that her husband had gone missing from home.

A police team under HQI Gampola Police CI K.M.D.N.D. Kannangara is conducting further investigations on the instructions of SP Kamal Ariyawansa and SSP Eric Perera.