Death of former Audit Superintendent Lalith Ambanwela Distinguished Public officer suffers Acid attack for carrying out his duty

• The case drew publicity on how a core of ‘crookish ‘ public servants defrauded millions of government funds
• The drama began on May 20, 2002, and the verdict was pronounced on August 10 2012 ten years later

The chapter closed on a dedicated Public servant Superintendent of Audit Lalith Ambanwela who practically sacrificed his life to expose crooked public servants who squander public funds. He passed away on May 13 2021.   

He was an old Boy of Walala Maha Vidyalaya and a Graduate of the Jayawardenepura University where he secured a B.Com.   

This case drew publicity and awe on how a core of ‘crookish ‘ public servants manipulated with crookish businessmen to defraud millions of government funds and when they failed to come to terms with honest public servants, they resorted to the most vile mode of revenge by throwing acid on the face of this public servant.   
This is the case of Superintendent of Audit of the Provincial Education Department Lalith Ambanwela who was suffering to the end with the wounds he acquired in his quest to protect Public Property.   

It was somewhat early morning when our ‘tribe’ received information that there had been an acid attack on a person near the round-about to the International Cricket Stadium at Asgiriya. None of us knew who they were nor any facts and the Police was informed by a 119 call, which went to Kandy Post Headquarters. 

 
The Deputy Inspection General was Nimal Mediweka and he had a special team of Crime Investigators under his command and he handed the inquiry to Inspector Gurusinghe a dedicated Police Officer who would build a case only when the accused has been identified. The victim was in a bad condition with an attack of an alleged substance like liquid.   

The information of the man who  attacked was only later identified.  There was no confirmation with regard to the substance that was suspected to be acid. However, Police Inspector Gurusinghe went on with the case. The victim of the attack was the Superintend of Audit of the Provincial Education Department. It was May 2002 and the case went on for the next ten years from the Magistrate Courts, the High Court and ultimately a High Court Judge Preethi Padman Surasena was specially assigned.   

First the case came before High Court Judge Wimal Nambuwasama and then it was specially fixed before high Court Judge Surasena.   

Firstly the case was centred on a tender relating to purchase of computers. The suspects included a son of a Deputy Mayor of Kandy. The investigation took sometime as it was a tricky case for the Police but Inspector Gurusinghe had the backing of the DIG Mediweka to solve this alleged case of attempted murder.   

The drama began on May 20, 2002, and the verdict was pronounced on August 10 2012 ten years later. It was a long drawn case with seven accused, two been public servants former chief accountant Ananda Weerasinghe, Education Director Ananda Munasinghe, Businessman Mohammed Razeek Rehan, M. Seyedu, Mihammed Razak ,L.M.Mohammed Nileufer, M.M.R.Rahaman and M.M.Imitiaz   

Though initially the case centred on a tender, with the investigation and also on material given by the Superintendent Audit Ambanwela, a future fraud was investigated on the Chief Account and the Director where there was an allegation of Training classes for Teachers which were nonexistent and millions were drawn from State funds.   

According to the evidence given by Lalith Ambanwela he had assumed duties at the Provincial Education Department in 1991, before which he had been working at Matale, Kandy, and Colombo as an Audit officer. After he assumed duties at the Kandy Provincial Education department he had met the first accused who was the Chief Accountant on the very day he assumed office and he had been invited to his office when he had said that there is a problem with a Training course and to help him. He said that he had known him while he was the Accountant at the Provincial Health office and that he had frequently spoken to him on various matters.   

When he first met him on his appointment on the Education office in Kandy, he has sought help as he happened to be one of his tutors. But, when he carried out an audit he had found a number of fraudulent transactions and he had conveyed it to the Chief Accountant. During the course of the events he had found a cheque been drawn for millions he wanted the original and found that it was forged. Then he had conveyed the findings and from there the course of events followed up to the acid attack at Asgiriya.   

At the outset of the trial, the accused were bailed out on Rs.25,000 and Rs. 50,000 each with two sureties but during the trial, the two Public servants were re-remanded.   

The accused were charged on eight counts and after the trial in sentencing, the two public servants namely Ananda Munasinghe and Ananda Weerasinghe were sentenced to ten years rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs.200,000 on each accused. The other seven accused were sentenced to 20 years of imprisonment.   
Counsel Gehan Kulatunge with State Counsel Navaratne Marasinghe appeared for the prosecution.