By: Isuru Parakrama
October 24, Colombo (LNW): The luxury BMW allegedly used by former Minister Johnston Fernando, who is currently in remand custody over the allegation, may have been illegally assembled and stolen in England, Police said.
Calling in a briefing, Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said the vehicle in question had been manufactured in Germany and originally sold to a buyer in England.
Police investigations, using information sourced from INTERPOL, have found potential connections between this vehicle and another high-end car reported missing in England in 2021.
The key evidence tying the two vehicles together is found in the matching Chassis and engine numbers, which are displayed on the INTERPOL database.
Based on this information, the police are continuing their inquiries into the matter.
Additionally, the Government Analyst’s Department has confirmed that the BMW had been illegally assembled, further complicating the case.
The vehicle in question was recently discovered parked at a Colombo hotel. The police investigation revealed that the vehicle had been dropped off by Fernando’s driver prior to the Presidential Election.
Inside the vehicle, officials from the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) found several documents linked to the former minister, though no registration documents for the vehicle itself were present.
In a bid to trace the car’s origins, police cross-referenced the garage number with records from the Motor Traffic Department. They discovered that the number plate was registered under the name of a private company based in Nawala.
The owner of the firm admitted that while the vehicle number plate had been registered in March this year, the plate had been stolen from a radio station owned by the company.
Further inspections carried out by Sri Lanka Customs on the BMW’s Chassis number (WBA5E52010G115194) revealed that no vehicle with this identification had been legally imported into Sri Lanka.
This crucial piece of evidence suggests that the car may have entered the country under unlawful circumstances.
As the investigation deepens, the police are focusing on the possible involvement of international criminal networks, particularly those linked to vehicle thefts in Europe.
Authorities are also examining whether other individuals may have been involved in this complex case of vehicle fraud, which could have wider implications for the country’s customs and import regulations.
