Sakvithi scam: Police record 1,023 complaints

The probe on the major financial scam involving English tutor Sakvithi Ranasinghe continued to bare more sordid details with fresh complaints received by yesterday raising the number of duped depositors to 1,000 with deposits alone accounting for more than Rs. 600 million.
Police Spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunesekera told the Daily News that by the end of Saturday, Police had recorded 1,023 complaints with the single biggest loss recorded during the day amounting to Rs.14 million.
Meanwhile, sources said other financial scams linked to the tutor who now believed to have been fled the country has recorded vast amounts putting the total loss beyond Rs.900 million.
Meanwhile, sources said Mirihana Police had to open an exclusive desk to handle complaints as affected people thronged the station to lodge complaints. The public outcry involving bogus financial institutions triggered by the Sakvithi scam continued to have a big impact with depositors throughout the island rushing to withdraw their investments.
Meanwhile, the Central Bank gave a deadline of 30 days for rogue finance companies to get properly registered with the authorities with legal action being initiated if the said institutions fail to meet the deadline.
An institution is expected to maintain a minimum deposit of Rs.200 million with the financial status of companies coming under scrutiny on a monthly basis.(Daily News)