An investigation has been launched by the police into a former secretary of a state ministry over suspicions of issuing a fraudulent letter sanctioning the construction of a hotel on Dehiwala beach, purportedly bearing the forged signature of the director of the Coast Conservation Department.
It was reported that a specialized police team has already questioned the former state ministry secretary.
Police said that legal proceedings are being pursued against the former state ministry secretary, pending consultation with the Attorney General.
The revelation regarding the fake authorization letter surfaced during police inquiries into a contentious hotel situated near Dehiwala beach.
On January 1, officials from the Coast Guard Department, accompanied by police, prepared to dismantle the hotel, citing its illegal construction.
During the demolition, individuals claiming to be directors of the hotel presented documentation asserting that the construction had been authorized by all relevant authorities, including a purported letter from the Coast Conservation Department.
Further investigation uncovered that the letter in question, allegedly issued by the Director of the Coast Conservation Department, was indeed counterfeit.
Upon interrogation, it was disclosed that the person posing as a director cited the former secretary of the state ministry responsible for coast conservation as the source of the letter.
A senior police officer revealed that the former state ministry secretary had reportedly provided the fraudulent letter to the hotel director.
The senior police officer affirmed that ongoing investigations would continue, with imminent steps to apprehend the suspects involved in the case.
