The magistrate issued this order to the land registrars of Matara, Kalutara, Hambantota and Kadawata.

The magistrate has issued this order, after the Financial and Commercial Crime Investigation Division of the Criminal Investigation Department requested the court to issue an order prohibiting the transfer or sale of these properties since these properties had been purchased using money, earned from the pyramid scheme illegally.

There was a super luxury hotel and several luxury type houses among the 20 properties valued at over 620 million rupees. These properties are located in Matara (six lands with luxury houses and a luxury hotel) two lands in Hambantota, two lands in Kadawata area and 10 lands in Kalutara area.

The CID has reported to the court that Sampath Sandaruwan had tried to hide his fraud by transferring all 20 properties to his wife and relatives on the same day.

In relation to this incident, the CID has received a large number of complaints and investigations have been started on ten of them.

(Nimanthi Ranasinghe)