Former Army officer's son who hoodwinked Thailand bank ... had got down money to Sri Lanka!

Former Army officer's son who hoodwinked Thailand bank ... had got down money to Sri Lanka!

The Criminal Investigation Department had engaged in investigations after being sounded about a sum of over Rs. 35 crores being swindled after gaining access (Hacking) to accounts of a bank in Taiwan by an organised group including the son of a former senior Army officer's son and a chairman of a local company.

The front-line suspect in this connection, a son of a former senior Army officer's son, M.C. Nammuni who was involved in this fraud was apprehended by the Criminal Investigation Department and was

taken into custody and was produced before Aluthkade Courts day before yesterday (7) and the Additional Magistrate of Aluthkade issued orders that he be remanded until 11th of this month.

Another front-line suspect in this massive fraud, a chairman of a local company had attempted to flee from the island by taking with him a part of the money and wide-scale operations have been launched to arrest him. This suspect had been functioning as a close associate of a most powerful Minister of the present regime, it has been revealed. The organised gang has swindled a sum of over American 60 million dollars after gaining access to accounts in Taiwan Eastern International Bank and it has been revealed from inquiries that persons of countries including India and Vietnam too are involved. It was further found that the Sri Lankan members of this organised gang had secured something close upon $ 23 million as their share.

The person known as Nammuni who is involved in this fraud and now remanded is someone who possesses an honours degree from a university in England. He had come to Sri Lanka some years before and had commenced a business connected to the building field, it was revealed at investigations. The Criminal Investigation which surrounded an office situated at Rosmead Place supposed to be owned by him were able to get at some secret documents and Rs. 40 lakhs suspected to have been secured from this fraud.

This great fraud had occured between 3 and 5 early in the morning of last 3rd. A cyber attack has been launched on Eastern International Bank in Taiwan and after intruding accounts there without legal permission had changed the passwords and in turn had transferred the monies to the accounts of members of this organised gang.  A sister bank of Taiwan Eastern Bank is situated in America and on the very day the fraud took place, the American bank had been able to sense the fraud. Subsequently, the said American bank has notified Taiwan Eastern Bank about it. The Eastern Bank entire computer network which came under the cyber attack had ended up in confusion by then. The International Police had informed the Criminal Investigation Department to commence an investigation on this matter. Apart from this, the Taiwan Eastern Bank too has sounded a local government bank about it requesting that an inquiry be carried out in this connection.

Officers of the Criminal Investigation Department had started inquiries in this connection and have been successful enough to get at all related information connected to it even before 3 days elapsed and had arrested a main suspect of this swindle. A case has been filed against the suspect so apprehended under a relevant financial Act and all his bank accounts have been suspended, the Criminal Investigations Department say. The police also say that a court order has been taken to foil the bid of a chairman of a leading company connected to this crime from fleeing the country. Information has been received to the effect that several other elements too are linked to this massive fraud. The Criminal Investigation Department is conducting investigations to take them to book.

Hemantha Randunu (Divaina)