Piumi Hansamali & Viranjith Thambugala to be indicted for tax evasion

The Inland Revenue Department (IRD) has informed the Colombo Magistrate’s Court that it intends to file a case before the Colombo High Court against well-known model Piumi Hansamali and prominent businessman Viranjith Thambugala, for alleged non-payment of income taxes amounting to over Rs. 400 million.

According to the IRD, both individuals are accused of evading income tax payments for the financial years 2022 and 2023.

The case was taken up yesterday (01) before Colombo Additional Magistrate Pasan Amarasena, during which progress reports on the ongoing investigations into tax-related offences were presented.

Senior Counsel Dinesh Perera, appearing on behalf of the Commissioner General of Inland Revenue, informed the court that investigation reports concerning the alleged tax evasion by Hansamali and Thambugala had been submitted to the Attorney General, and that the department intends to proceed with filing indictments before the Colombo High Court.

Perera further stated that proceedings will be instituted against Piumi Hansamali for allegedly evading personal income taxes amounting to Rs. 194 million, as well as for failing to pay Rs. 95 million in corporate income tax through her business operations under a company named ‘Lollia’, for the years 2022 and 2023.

In addition, the IRD will also seek to prosecute businessman Viranjith Thambugala, Chairman of Aura Lanka, before the High Court for the alleged non-payment of personal and corporate income tax totaling Rs. 194 million, inclusive of penalties and interest, for the same two-year period.

The department asserts that both suspects have committed offences involving the criminal misappropriation of funds by failing to remit taxes legally due to the government.