That BMW is mine - Johnston admits guilt

Former Minister Johnston Fernando has informed the Colombo Fort Magistrate's Court through his lawyers that he is guilty of possessing a luxury BMW car imported into Sri Lanka without legally paying taxes and of tax evasion. This marks a significant milestone in a series of controversial events surrounding this mysterious vehicle, which was found abandoned at a private hotel in Colombo.

The origin of this incident dates back to the day before the last presidential election. The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) had received information that a black BMW car bearing registration number WP C 24-0430 was suspiciously parked in the premises of a hotel in Colombo. Accordingly, investigators who immediately took action were able to uncover several important facts from the person who parked the vehicle at the said location. He had told the police that this vehicle belonged to Mr. Johnston Fernando and that his driver had brought it to the hotel.

When Criminal Investigation Department officers inspected the vehicle, several documents belonging to the former minister were found inside. However, there were no documents related to the vehicle's registration. The more problematic situation arose when further investigations confirmed that the registration number displayed on the vehicle had been issued to a private company located in the Nawala area.

Based on this information, the Criminal Investigation Department expanded its investigations, recorded a statement from Mr. Johnston Fernando on October 23rd, subsequently arrested him, and later remanded him. Meanwhile, the Sri Lanka Customs, investigating the true identity of this luxury vehicle, confirmed that no vehicle with the chassis number of the said BMW car had been legally imported into the country. Concurrently, an investigation conducted by the Government Analyst's Department revealed that this was an illegally assembled vehicle.

However, police investigations are currently revealing that the story of this BMW car is connected to an international network extending beyond Sri Lanka's borders. According to the police, the chassis and engine numbers of this vehicle, manufactured in Germany and sold to a buyer in England, have been found to be linked to a luxury vehicle reported stolen in the United Kingdom in 2021. Thus, a mysterious vehicle found in a Colombo hotel near the presidential election, linked to a theft in England, ended with a former minister pleading guilty in court.