Eyon Lanka Investment director arrested for Rs. 9.9 Bn fraud

• The suspect and Eyon Lanka Investment and Film Production International Company (Pvt.) Limited have carried on finance business or have accepted deposits in contravention of the provisions of the Finance Business Act
• According to the Central Bank, the said institution has not been registered by the bank to carry out finance leasing business and therefore, any finance leasing business carried out by such institution constitutes an offence

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya  

A suspect who ran a financial institution, Eyon Lanka Investment and Film Production International Company (Pvt.) Limited, without the approval of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and defrauded an amount of Rs 9,900 million has been arrested.   
Police said that the suspect was arrested yesterday by officers of the Financial and Commercial Crime Investigation Division on charges of criminal misappropriation of money, breach of trust and money laundering.  

They said the suspect, a 54-year-old, identified as Atapattu Mudiyanselage Dammika Kumara Atapattu, has worked as the director and shareholder of the financial institution.   

Earlier, the Central Bank also said that they would initiate necessary legal action against Eyon Lanka Investment and Film Production International Company (Pvt) Ltd which has carried out illicit finance business and deposit mobilization.  The suspect and Eyon Lanka Investment and Film Production International Company (Pvt.) Limited have carried on finance business or have accepted deposits in contravention of the provisions of the Finance Business Act.   

Previously, the Monetary Board of Central Bank has directed the company not to accept further deposits by issuing promissory notes or in any other manner and not to carry on finance business. According to the Central Bank, the said institution has not been registered by the bank to carry out finance leasing business and therefore, any finance leasing business carried out by such institution constitutes an offence.   

Police said the suspect will be produced before the Court.