By Businesswoman Thilini Priyamali has been acquitted in another fraud case. She has faced a string of fraud-related cases, and in this instance, she was acquitted in a case where she was charged with fraudulently acquiring 14.1 million from a businessman.
Previously, Thilini Priyamali was acquitted and released from a case in which she was accused of allegedly issuing a cheque from a bank account with insufficient funds to purchase a vehicle worth Rs. 8 million. Thilini Priyamali, who is accused of large-scale financial fraud, was a hot topic in the media in the last few months and prominently featured on social media, developing a profile as a benevolent high achiever who moves around the upper class of society. Eventually, she was arrested for the misappropriation of billions of rupees.
Thilini Priyamali was the owner of Thico Group Private Ltd, which operated a luxurious office at the World Trade Centre (WTC) in Colombo. “The ultimate expectation is to help our customers fulfil their dreams,” said the Thico website. Wealthy businessmen, high-ranking medical professionals, security officials, actors, elite politicians, and even Buddhist priests were among her investors, patrons, and associates.
Thilini Priyamali was portrayed as a hub of financial fraud by the media. Many investors complained that their dreams were shattered when they found out that the investments were not providing the promised returns. Priyamali had been arrested on seven occasions in connection with money fraud in 2017 and 2018, and again, she was charged for using a mobile phone while being held in the remand prison.
She complained bitterly that the media reports regarding her transactions were very much one-sided. However, speaking to the media after the recent acquittal at the Negombo court, she said that despite being treated unfairly by the media, she felt that the online safety bill restricts the freedom of expression, and she is not agreeable to such restrictions.
