Wanted Pastor still overseas: SC told of transactions amounting to Rs 12.2 bn

Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Priyantha Nawana yesterday (28) informed the Supreme Court that law enforcement authorities, inquiring into Pastor Jerome Fernando, under investigation for causing religious tensions, have found transaction records relating to Rs. 12.2 billion in 11 bank accounts held by him. Additional Solicitor General

Priyantha Nawana appeared in SC on behalf of Attorney General Sanjay Rajaratnam,PC, when a the fundamental rights (FR) petition, filed by Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera, was taken up for hearing.The ASG told SC that further investigations were underway in terms of the Money Laundering Act.The next hearing of the petition has been fixed for 27 October.

Colombo Fort Magistrate Thilina Gamage, after taking into account a motion filed by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), on 18 July, gave permission to investigate the bank accounts belonging to Pastor Fernando.

The bank accounts in question, which are under investigation, include Pastor Fernando’s private accounts, as well as those belonging to his private firm, Church and his wife, Melanie Dianne Vancuylenberg.

Fernando had stirred up much controversy after making several ‘derogatory’ statements regarding Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism and Islam during a sermon he delivered, after which the CID launched probe into the matter, on 15 May, on the instructions of President Ranil Wickremesinghe.

The Colombo Fort Magistrate imposed an overseas travel ban on Fernando, on 16 May, as requested by the CID, but Fernando had already left for Singapore. on 14 May, and is yet to return to the country.