Australian businessman Brian Shaddick, 74, a key witness in the alleged financial fraud case filed against Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader MP Udaya Gammanpila yesterday informed Colombo High Court that he or his company had never given a power of attorney to Gammanpila to carry out a share transaction.
Shaddick was yesterday present before Colombo High Judge A.A.R. Heiyanthuduwa in connection with an indictment filed against Udaya Gammanpila and another accused of allegedly misappropriating Rs. 21 million following their alleged fraudulent share transaction that took place in 2000.
Witness Shaddick said that he never signed a document executing the power of attorney to Gammanpila and therefore his signature had been fraudulently used as an authentic one in order to carry out this transaction.
In reply to a question raised by defence counsel Shavindra Fernando, Shaddick affirmed that the document presented to him by the defence was a fake one and further said his signature had been fraudulently used on it.
Shaddick is to be further cross-examined today (17) as well.
Two accused Udaya Gammanpila and Sydney Jayasinghe are currently out on bail.
The Attorney General (AG) alleged that MP Udaya Gammanpila has cheated Rs. 20 million and misappropriated another Rs. 21 million along with Sydney Jayasinghe, the second accused when selling shares of Digital Nominees to a businessman called Dhammika Perera.
The AG further charged that the alleged business transaction had taken place using a fraudulent power of attorney to sell shares belonging to Australian businessman Brian Shaddick.
The AG has listed 20 persons as the witnesses in the case and named 16 documents as production items of the case. MP Gammanpila was arrested in this regard on June 18, 2016.
Deputy Solicitor General Dileepa Peiris with Senior State Counsel Nayana Seneviratne appeared for the Attorney General.
President’s Counsel Shavindra Fernando with Jayantha Weerasinghe, Senior Counsel Nalinda Indatissa appeared for MP Gammanpila.
Source : Daily News
https://casite-790485.cloudaccess.net/news/619-gammanpila-faked-power-of-attorney-australian-businessman-brian-shaddick#sigProId8a0b4a6459
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