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Sri Lanka Army

Defender of the Nation

16th January 2017 21:05:56 Hours

Lance Corporal H.A Heenbanda’s Protest at Fort Railway Station on Monday (16.01.17)

(Press Release)

Lance Corporal H.A Heenbanda who turned disabled after injuries in the operations, was posted to the Yakkala Ranaviru Apparels factory for light duties and has been kept responsible as a subject clerk for accounts, related to the Sahana Welfare Loan project in the Yakkala Ranaviru Apparels factory. During his stay there, the Directorate of Internal Audit of the Army in an auditing done, found out that a financial discrepancy in the said Sahana Welfare Loan project had occurred, necessitating the appointment of a Court of Inquiry to look into all aspects of the matter.

Subsequent investigations however confirmed both the officer in charge of the Sahana Welfare Loan project accounts and the subject, Lance Corporal H.A Heenbanda were directly responsible for the said financial fraud, committed through preparation of forged name lists of his fellow-soldiers in the factory. During interrogations and his evidence, the said Court of Inquiry, has recommended to recover a sum of Rs 465,525/= from Lance Corporal H.A Heenbanda, which was also re-affirmed in the Commander’s conclusions.

As per those directions, Lance Corporal H.A Heenbanda had already paid a sum of Rs 250,000/= back to the Yakkala Ranaviru Apparels, out of the total missing sum. This soldier, having received a 50% disability category in the Medical Board had gone on retirement with a monthly salary plus a disability pension of Rs 65,597.56 on 26 August 2013. Accordingly, steps were taken to deduct remaining dues of Rs 215,252/= from him to the said Sahana Welfare Loan project at Ranaviru Apparels from his gratuity payments, and he was subsequently intimated verbally and also in writing to report back to his mother unit for preparation of his final clearance process and settlement of other outstanding issues, including payment of his pension and gratuity allowances, but he has to-date failed to report to the Unit.

The Army, irrespective of the fraud he has already committed in the Sahana Welfare Loan project of his fellow-soldiers, did not resort to any harsh disciplinary procedures against him, considering the nature of his disability. In the wake of these developments, Lance Corporal H.A Heenbanda’s current course of conduct is meant publicly to ridicule the Army and tarnish its image. (Ends)

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