By Norman Palihawadana
Slain Janashakthi Group Director, Dinesh Schaffter, 52, was on his way to meet a former cricket presenter, on Thursday (15) afternoon, when an unidentified person got a lift and later strangled him at the Borella cemetery.
Schaffter left his Flower Road residence between 2 and 3 pm. Police have obtained video footage of Schaffter stopping his car to allow an unidentified person to get into the back seat. Police believe the man forced Schaffter to drive into the Borella cemetery where he was strangled. At the time he was found, his hands were tied to the driver’s seat.
Schaffter’s Secretary told investigators the Janashakthi Director was to meet the former cricket commentator.Schaffter died after being admitted to the National Hospital, Colombo. A Janashakthi employee found Schaffter after his wife located the missing car with GPS and alerted the office.
According to police, Schaffter had told his Secretary that he was going to see the debtor, who had taken a loan of Rs 1.4 billion from him.
Earlier in 2021, the debtor was arrested over an alleged Rs. 1.4 Bn financial fraud on a complaint lodged by Schaffter with the CID on March 20, 2019. The suspect was released on bail, on 19 February 2021.
