Golden Key depositors speak out: CJ MUTE ON VANISHED FILE
Posted on December 11th, 2012
Chamikara WEERASINGHE-Courtesy The Daily News
Said Registrar ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”could do nothingƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ about it
*Case was used as a means of amassing wealth
Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayaka refrained from taking action against the disappearance of a special investigative report on the Golden Key Credit fiasco, which was prepared by the Special Investigations Unit of the Central Bank, five office bearers of Golden Credit All DepositorsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Association revealed yesterday at a press conference at the Sri Lanka Foundationb Institute.
The report had been kept in the Supreme Court RegistrarƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s safe on the advice of former Chief Justice Sarath N Silva, who said that it contained important evidence, said GCC All DepositorsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ Association President Dushanthi Hapugoda.
Hapugoda said , this was a report they submitted to the Supreme Court as evidence against the Board of Directors of Golden Key Credit on March 17, 2009.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”¹…”The report said that Golden Key was collecting funds from the public going out of its way against all legal bounds,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚she said.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-When we requested for a copy of the report in writing , the file was missing from the Supreme Court RegistrarƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s safe,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚
Hapugoda said . ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- In February, 2012 when during proceedings of the Golden Key Credit case when we raised the matter before Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayake , she admitted that she heard about the loss of that report.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-Chief Justice Dr Bandaranayaka said , ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Matath Eka AarnchiƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ( I have been made awareƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚).
Hapugoda said , they requested Chief Justice Dr Bandaranayaka to summon the Supreme Court Registrar about it, upon which she replied that the Registrar cannot do anything about it, and asked what were they going to do about it.
As pointed out by Golden Credit Card Depositors , this is just one twist in their case.
Golden Key Credit depositor Prasanna Hennayaka said at the press conference, the Golden Key Credit case has been heard under several Chief Justices from former Juctice Sarath N Silva to present Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayaka for three and a half years.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- When the case was heard by Supreme Court Judge Shirani Thilekewardena, she took steps to arrange a repayment plan for them with directions to Kothalawala and his Board of Directors to pay a sum of Rs 200 000 to each depositor on a quarterly basis during her time,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ he said.
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-From 2011 October 13, the case was heard under Chief Justice Dr Shirani Bandaranayake. The depositors did not receive any payment due to them during this time. Also, there had been no inquiry against those who got bail, including Kothalawala and his Board of Directors, ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- he said. .
ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-On November 6, 2012, when the impeachment motion was brought against Chief Justice Dr.Shirani Bandaranayaka, we submitted a letter to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa apprising him of all injustices we suffered when the case was being heard under Chief Justice Dr Bandaranayaka. .ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-In December 2011, because our case took a dramatic twist and the case was on the brink of being thrown out by Chief Justice Bandaranayake, we made an appeal to Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa to address our issue through ParliamentƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.
We submitted a letter titled ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…- Sequence of events in ….ex-parte No 195/2009 the Golden Key case ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚, which was prepared by our lawyers to the Speaker explaining how Golden Key depositorsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢ case took a surprising twist under the present Chief Justice.
The depositors said that it occurred to them that the case was being led to their disadvantage methodically against all norms of justice under the present Chief Justice. ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-The case was being used as a sources of amassing wealth,ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ said Hapugoda.
It was for the benefit of the country, that impeachment against Chief Justice had manifested. Some of our depositors committed suicide because they were compelled to think that they would not get any money they had invested with the Golden Key company, she said.
This is a fraud involving Rs 26 billion with thousands of victims.
December 11th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
With so many serious allegations against the current CJ, why are some lawyers and politicians trying to stop the impeachment process? We need to have an independent honest CJ who can not be influenced by the Govt or those hostile to the Govt or criminal elements.
Apparently it had been the opposition that had reported the CJ to the bribery commissioner and also threatened to impeach her, much before the Govt took action.
It seems the best defence CJ has is not to face an inquiry and this exactly is the current position.
December 12th, 2012 at 4:08 am
The Judiciary is bent on making money. How have they contributed to a developing Sri Lanka. Have they contributed to any project. There is an increasing crimanility sex offences , drug and alcoholism amoung the Sinhala. Can these legal fraternity contribute some way to improve things in Sri Lanka ?
December 12th, 2012 at 6:46 am
This woman is a thief , not a Judge. But she was appointed to chief position by biger chief MR.
December 12th, 2012 at 7:45 am
Charles
They never do.They are the most corrupt organization in the country.Judges are league with the blood sucking lawyers,postponing case after case giving away to thugs and wrong doers.Some innocent victims,so desperate taking law into their hands.I show no sympathy to these crooks.Some politicians will support them because they may be ex lawyers.CJ is the symptom of that rotten industry.This is a good opportunity to clean their decks,instead of the opposition playing the usual dirty politics to cause chaos and get to power through the back door.They must support the elected government or just shut up and wait for the next election.This Arab rising is given an opportunity for some foreign meddlers to interfere in the third world.Syria is a good example and they will use their own enemies(like the jehardists) to destabalize any country,thus keeping some of them in employment for life.
December 13th, 2012 at 7:29 am
Nanda-
Just to set the record straight…
1. Dr. Shirani Bandaranayake was at the Law Faculty Colombo University when she was appointed to the Supreme Court by Pres. Chandrika Bandaranaike.
2. When the CJ position became vacant in 2010, President Rajapakse appointed Justice Shirani Bandaranayake who was by that time the most senior of the Supreme Court Justices, to the position of CJ despite objections from many quarters.
These are the facts.
Hind sight is always 20:20. If the Pres. did not appoint her there would have been as much criticism as today when she is being impeached!