Dinesh Schaffter was scheduled to meet cricket presenter Brian Thomas; Secretary tells police

• Police also suspect that the crime was planned on a contract 
• Investigations reveal that Schaffter’s car entered the cemetery through the gate at Model Farm Road

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya  

The initial investigation into the death of businessman and director of Janashakthi Group, Dinesh Schaffter has revealed that Schaffter had been planning to meet former cricket presenter Brian Thomas on Thursday. According to the police, Schaffter’s secretary had informed this in the statement.   

However, according to Police spokesman SSP Nihal Thalduwa investigators are still probing whether the alleged financial involvement with Schaffter and Brian Thomas had any connection to Schaffter’s death. Police also suspect that the crime was planned on a contract.  

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) is now leading the investigation into the death of Dinesh Schaffter who was found tied inside a car at the Borella General Cemetery on Thursday with serious injuries. He died while receiving treatment at the National Hospital in Colombo on Thursday night.  

A CID team had visited the Borella Cemetery yesterday morning where the crime took place. Special CID teams have also begun analyzing CCTV footage and phone records of in and around the Borella Public Cemetery to check for any leads.  

According to the preliminary investigations, it has been revealed that Dinesh Schaffter’s car entered the Borella cemetery through the gate at Model Farm Road. The police found the car parked near an Air Force memorial, which is a deserted area between crematoriums two and three.  

Investigations revealed that Dinesh Schaffter had left his home on Thursday between 2 pm and 3 pm from his house at Flower Road in Colombo to attend a meeting. Police said that the businessman had told his secretary that he was going to meet a former sports presenter and commentator Brian Thomas, who had taken a loan of Rs 1.4 billion from him.  

Earlier in 2021, the former sports presenter Brian Thomas was arrested over alleged Rs. 1.4 Bn financial fraud after Dinesh Schaffter had lodged a complaint with the CID on March 20, 2019. It was revealed then that the former sports presenter while acting as an intermediary had requested a loan from the businessman with the aim of investing it in a well-known company in Sri Lanka. The suspect, however, was released on bail on February 19, 2021.  

Dinesh Schaffter had not responded since Thursday evening and was found in the Cemetery when his wife located the businessman via GPS. Then his wife informed an employee about the matter and later Schaffter was found with his hand tied to the driver’s seat and choked. Then he was admitted to the Colombo National Hospital by the employee with the help of a worker at the cemetery. Schaffter, who was in critical condition, died a few hours after he had gone into cardiac arrest.  

The CID also recorded a statement from the worker at the cemetery who helped take the victim to the hospital.  
The Borella Police and the CID are investigating further.