The Balapitiya Magistrate’s Court today ordered the owner of the Kosgoda turtle hatchery to handover 4 albino turtles he owns to the Dehiwala zoo.
The owner and an employee of the turtle hatchery were arrested yesterday (15) for lodging a false complaint with police claiming that an albino turtle was missing.
They were both released on bail after being produced before the Balapitiya Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama, who ordered each a cash bail of Rs 15,000 and personal bail of Rs 200,000.
The passports of both suspects were also ordered to be handed over to the court.
The albino turtle that went missing from the Kosgoda turtle hatchery was allegedly found when a similar turtle was discovered in a home in Ambalangoda.
However, reports stated that the weight of the turtle that has been found does not match the missing one.
The rare albino turtle went missing from the hatchery on December 15, 2013 while the owner of the establishment had made a complaint to the police. The Kosgoda police began an investigation into the incident while the Matara police too held its own investigations.
Police had received information that sea water was being carried three times a day into the house of the hatchery owner’s daughter. Upon searching the home, an albino turtle weighing 5½ kg was discovered.
However, according to the initial complaint made by the hatchery owner, the missing turtle weighed 9½ kg.
Police also questioned popular singer Amal Perera regarding the turtle as the hatchery owner reported that Perera approached him in order to buy the turtle some time ago. Perera confirmed that the turtle that was found was indeed the turtle that he inquired about.
Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana said that investigations are now under way to determine if the hatchery owner had made a false complaint and provided the police with false information.
The hatchery owner in question had been hospitalised according to his relatives.
