The Janatha Estates Development Board (JEDB) will take legal action against racing driver Dilantha Malagamuwa.
This is for its loss of reputation caused by his media statements even after the Commercial Court and the Supreme Court has ruled in favour of the JEDB as Malagamuwa had failed to pay the lease of Monte Cristo Estate in Nawalapitiya.
JEDB Working Director T. Bevan Perera told at a media briefing yesterday that many media statements were issued that the estate was forcibly taken over by the JEDB.
Malagamuwa had filed a case in the Commercial Court asking for a interim injunction preventing the JEDB from taking over the estate. But the Commercial Court did not rule in his favour and rejected the request. The Supreme Court too rejected the case.
Bevan said the Monte Cristo estate was leased to the Central Hill Plantation in 2003. The Director Board managed it properly by paying lease to the JEDB and EPF and ETF to its employees on time. The Director Board was changed in 2010 and Dilantha Malagamuwa, his sister and a Japanese investor were appointed as new directors.
Thereafter, a conflict arose between Dilantha Malagamuwa and the Japanese investor and the latter had filed the case against Malagamuwa. Bevan said that since then the company was running at a loss and it could not pay the lease to the JEDB amd EPF and ETF for the workers. Around Rs.13.6 million EPF and ETF was not paid and around Rs. 15 million had to be paid to the Nawalapitiya Labour Office. A tea factory in the estate was also leased to a broker for Rs.32 million. Internal investigation by the JEDB revealed that State resources in the estate were misused by the management. The unions and estate workers carried out protests and the Cabinet approval was granted to take over it in 2014 but it was not taken, he said.
The JEDB Director Board in 2017 has decided to take it over and appointed its Working Director Bevan Perera as competent authority in this regard. On April 6, the JEDB has legally taken over it. Then Dilantha has lodged a complaint with the Police that Bevan Perera had threatened him. Dilantha gave evidence before an investigation team led by the DIG. He told them that he did not give any contact to kill any one.
The complaint has no mention about the persons who threatened him and the relevant telephone number. “I will take legal action against him once the investigation is over,” Bevan said.
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