Danuna Tilakaratne acquitted in Hicorp case

The Colombo High Court today acquitted Danuna Tilakaratne from the Hicorp fraud case.

Thilakaratne, former son-in-law of ex-Army Commander Field Marshal Sarath Fonseka, had surrendered to Colombo High Court in December last year and was released on bail.

Sarath Fonseka, his then son-in-law Danuna Tilakaratne and Director of HiCorp Pvt. Ltd. Wellington De Hoedt were accused of defrauding the Army by purchasing military hardware going beyond the tender procedure.

The case was  prosecuted under Public Properties Act for ‘Hicorp fraud,’ amounting to cheating of US$ 299,061  from four tenders in respect of procurements for the SL Army, allegedly by submitting false tender documents, on behalf of an Australian based entity called  British Borneo Defense in 2007-2008  when Fonseka was the Army Commander. Fonseka was accused of facilitating the ‘Hi-Corp fraud’ as the Army Commander and as the head of the Army tender boards.

The defendants were accused of producing forged documents in connection with the supply of 80 generators, 50 batteries, five compasses and 484 night vision cameras.

On March 15, 2012 Fonseka was too acquitted by the Colombo High Court of the charges brought against him in the Hicorp fraud case. The defence took up the preliminary objection on the basis that the accused Fonseka had been already found guilty before a second Court Martial for similar charges in connection with the Hicorp case.