හොරණ මහජන බැංකු සහකාර කළමනාකරුගේ තවත් වංචා රැසක් එළියට

The controversial incident of a colossal sum of three and a half crore rupees, or thirty-five million rupees, mysteriously disappearing in a highly sophisticated and planned manner from a People's Bank branch located in the heart of Horana town, has become a widely discussed event. The police have succeeded in apprehending the assistant manager of the same bank and a security officer who was on duty there, in connection with this massive financial irregularity. They are currently being held and interrogated under a six-day detention order.

During the extensive interrogations conducted with them, many more dark details hidden behind this large-scale bank robbery are currently being uncovered. Investigating units indicate that investigations are underway, with a particular focus on the assistant manager's past financial transactions and his closest relationships.

This incident, reported on the afternoon of the third day, initially came to light as news that a huge sum of money being taken out of the bank was robbed in broad daylight by an unknown person who then fled. On the day of the incident, two officers assigned to security duties at the bank approached the chief manager and made an urgent notification, stating that money bags taken out of the bank premises by the assistant manager for transport to two other service centers belonging to the bank were suddenly snatched by an unknown individual who then fled. Following this unexpected notification, the bank's chief manager immediately rushed out of the bank premises and thoroughly observed the surrounding area, but by then, he was unable to identify any suspicious person or unusual incident. Realizing the gravity of the situation, the chief manager promptly made a phone call to the 119 police emergency hotline to inform the police about this massive money robbery.

According to the initial complaint made to the police, investigating officers were able to confirm that the assistant manager had taken out three and a half crore rupees, contained in two cloth bags bearing the bank's official logo and holding only five thousand rupee notes. Following this complaint, police officers immediately summoned the assistant manager, who was in charge of the two money bags, to the police station and subjected him to continuous and extensive questioning. However, local police officers were unable to uncover any significant clues or evidence from this initial series of interrogations to advance the investigation. In light of the complexity of the incident and the seriousness of such a large sum of money disappearing from a banking system, the Inspector General of Police, with the aim of making these investigations more extensive and efficient, immediately took steps to assign further investigations into this incident to a team of officers from the Peliyagoda North Criminal Investigation Division.

Accordingly, officers from the Peliyagoda North Criminal Division arrived in the Horana area and commenced investigations using technical evidence, meticulously examining the closed-circuit television camera footage installed within and around the bank premises. During this process, investigators were able to uncover several crucial pieces of information. They found that the assistant manager was clearly recorded by internal bank cameras taking this enormous sum of money from the bank's main vault on the morning of that day. However, the most suspicious detail was that he prepared to leave the bank with the money several hours after obtaining it, specifically in the afternoon. Furthermore, although security cameras were installed inside the bank, investigations confirmed that no external cameras were installed to cover the exit door, which was located in a corner of the bank premises. Nevertheless, with the confirmation that no suspicious person carrying two money bags was recorded on cameras along the surrounding roads or at other establishments, the police's suspicion regarding this robbery intensified.

Based on these technical and circumstantial pieces of evidence, further extensive investigations ultimately revealed that this was by no means a robbery committed by an external individual, but rather a meticulously and elaborately planned staged act orchestrated by the suspect assistant manager, who involved a bank security officer in his scheme. Following this crucial revelation, police officers swiftly acted, immediately arresting the 54-year-old assistant bank manager, a resident of Wewala, Gangoda area, and the 43-year-old security officer, a resident of Bulathsinhala area. After presenting these two main suspects to the Horana Magistrate's Court, the Horana Magistrate's Court granted special permission to the police to detain the assistant manager for a period of six days for further extensive questioning regarding the large-scale disappearance of money. Concurrently, the court further ordered the remand of the security officer, who was directly involved in aiding and abetting the incident, until the 11th of the coming month.

During the intense series of interrogations currently being conducted with the assistant manager, who is in police custody under a six-day detention order, many more extremely important details regarding this massive fraud are being uncovered daily. Specifically, investigations into the suspect's past financial behavior and transactions have led to the police's special attention being drawn to two women with whom he maintained very close financial dealings. A separate extensive investigation has already been launched concerning these two women, identified as residents of Nalluruwa and Modarawila areas. The police strongly suspect whether these two women received direct or indirect assistance for various financial frauds believed to have been committed by the assistant manager within the banking system over a long period. Initial investigations have also revealed information that the suspect, abusing his authority, made large-scale money transfers through these women's personal bank accounts when irregularities occurred in bank accounts on various occasions.

The suspect manager is further revealing secrets through his confessions about how this fraud was planned and executed, and police sources confirm that he has mentioned the names of several other individuals involved in this large-scale racket to the police. In light of this situation, authorities have also called for an internal audit report to formally examine all transactions meticulously carried out by the suspect within the banking system. Investigators believe that after receiving this special audit report, many more hidden parties involved in this financial fraud will be brought before the law. Horana Police and the Financial Crimes Investigation Division are jointly taking further legal action regarding this complex financial crime.