Minuwangoda Magistrate T. Thenabadu remanded a man who had befriended an actress through a Facebook account and promised to marry her and obtained Rs. 6.5 million from the her and committed fraud until May 29.
It was mentioned in court that the remanded suspect had also befriended two junior lawyers working at the Colombo and Gampaha courts and promised to marry them and defrauded them both of Rs. 9.9 million.
The suspect had been produced before the Minuwangoda Magistrate Court by the Mahara Prison.
The suspect Lasantha Liyanage (27), a resident of Kahawatte Ratnapura was arrested by the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau.
In the case brought before the Minuwangoda Magistrate Court, the plaintiff is a resident of Patthaduwana, Minuwangoda, 23 years studying at the Colombo Aesthetic Studies University while working as an actress.
Police told court that the suspect had opened a Facebook account with photographs of him posing with Sri Lanka’s famous cricketers and actors and actresses, saying that he was working as a social welfare activist.Police further stated that the suspect had got to know the plaintiff through the Facebook and built up a friendship. Later he had visited the complainant’s house several times.It was mentioned in court that after the love relationship which blossomed between the two, the plaintiff’s parents had also given their blessings for the wedding.
After that, the suspect had got the actress to credit his bank account with an amount of Rs. 6.5 million by bringing up various needs.The police told the court that it has been verified from bank records.
The suspect was also charged with fraud by promising to marry a lawyer working at a Colombo Court and defrauding her of Rs. 5.5 million, and cheating another lawyer of the Gampaha Court, by obtaining Rs. 4.9 million on the promise of marrying her.
It was stated at the Minuwangoda Magistrate’s Court that he had been remanded for these two offences by the above-mentioned two courts as well.
Gampaha Division Fraud Investigation Bureau Officer-In-Charge Prabhath Paranavithana, SergeantGunaratne (10769) and Police Constable Gunasekara (66319) handled the complaint at the Minuwangoda Magistrate’s Court.