The Wattala Magistrate’s Court has extended the remand custody of five individuals, including former minister Johnston Fernando and his two sons, following their arrest by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID). The suspects will remain in custody until January 30 as investigations continue.
Those remanded include Johnston Fernando, his son Johan Fernando, his youngest son Jerome Kenneth Fernando, and two other individuals. They were taken into custody over allegations linked to the improper use of a vehicle owned by Lanka Sathosa during Fernando’s tenure as a cabinet minister.
Authorities are probing claims that a Sathosa lorry was unlawfully used, resulting in a substantial loss to state resources. The investigation focuses on the suspected misuse of government property for non-official purposes.
In a related development, Indika Ratnamalala, who served as Sathosa’s Transport Manager at the time, was arrested earlier on January 4. He was produced before the same court and remanded until January 9.
According to investigators, Ratnamalala is accused of altering official documents at the request of Johan Fernando to enable the use of a Sathosa-owned lorry for work at a company allegedly linked to the former minister. Further inquiries into the matter are ongoing.
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