Gold Jewellery to be returned

Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake told media on  26 November, that a further stock of gold jewellery is to be handed over to 1960 identified  owners in the North by President Mahinda Rajapaksa  04, December.

The media was told that  419 owners, of the gold recovered from the so-called ‘Tamil Eelam Banks’ and ‘Eelam Pawning Centres’ that were operating at the time of humanitarian operations before May 2009 are yet to be traced.

The 1960 identified recipients are from Mannar (223), Vavuniya (319), Jaffna (45), Kilinochchi (1187) and Mullaittivu (186).   President Rajapaksa symbolically returned  recovered jewellery to 25 recipients In Kilinochchi on 12 October 2014, from 2377 identified owners in the Northern Province under the first phase.

Security Forces through their Civil Coordinating Offices in the Wanni, Kilinochchi, Mullaittivu, Mannar and Jaffna informedthe public who have still failed to claim their gold valuables which had been deposited with the LTTE, to reach those offices and process their ownership claims, proving their bona fides As recent as last October.

In order to expedite the process for return of remaining jewellery, owners who  possess any LTTE issued pieces of evidence or acceptable or supportive documents to that effect, are encouraged to report to the nearest Civil Coordinating Offices in the north and place their claims for necessary onward process of identification, the Commander added.

The Security Forces expect to hand over the remaining jewellery that the ownership cannot be traced to the Central Bank in accordance with State regulations and provisions, the Army Commander said.