Sixteen Month Sentence For Insurance Fraud
The 37-year-old Sri Lankan accountant and ex-HWP employee, Ms Chandima Gangula Arachige, who was convicted five counts of defrauding BF&M Insurance Co Ltd of a total $76,297 and of attempts to fraudulently obtain another $13,000 from BF&M; was this morning [Sept.21] sentenced to a total of sixteen months in prison.
Before passing sentence, Senior Magistrate Archie Warner heard submissions from the DPP who had suggested an eighteen month sentence; and from her lawyer, Mr Dismont, who asked that a suspended sentence be considered.
Mr Dismont asked that the Magistrate consider that the defendant’s offer and promise of restitution be considered as a mitigating factor in sentencing.
However, Magistrate Warner pointed out that the record indicated that the defendant had closed out all her Bermuda bank accounts, had been in the process of leaving Bermuda, and that repatriating any funds at all from Sri Lanka was highly problematic; and that despite offers and promises of restitution, no actual funds had been received.
The Magistrate also rejected any suggestion of special circumstances because the defendant’s mother – in Sri Lanka – was said to be either sick or dying.
On the total of five counts, Ms Gangula Arachige was sentenced to sixteen months each on counts one, two, three, and five. On count four, she was given six month sentence.
Magistrate Warner called her actions a “callous and sophisticated scheme.”
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…glad she was convicted – now I (read:taxpayer) have to feed the little heifer.
Magistrate Warner called her actions a “callous and sophisticated scheme.”
and she only received 16 months and there will be no restitution (or highly unlikely)of funds? I say she got off easy!!! no example set here….
SMH is all I can do! If it was such a callous and sophisticated schem, she should have gotten more time. Still SMH.
She stole $76,297, doesn’t have to pay it back and gets sixteen months in a Bermuda Prison. And they say, crime doesn’t pay
For once I agree with the Magistrate. This lady by her actions worked out that even if she got caught – the amount of money she sent home was much more than what she could have sent home from her earnings. As it is, she will not have to work for 16 months, nor have to lift a finger to repay the money she stole from BF&M and will probably earn 15% on her ill-begotten proceeds back in Sri Lanka (or wherever)…and if she is clever as I think she is, she may even get her law degree at the taxpayer’s expense.
BINGO FOR REAL..
This makes no sense. Was any investigation of where the money actually went made? For all we now she’s probably got it made down in Sri Lanka now. After all she had intentions of leaving and not returning to Bermuda! “Momma I’ve hit the jack pot and now I’m coming Home!” So what does our justice system do? Basically just make her wait another 16 months before we free her to her Sri Lankan palace(lol) at an even greater cost than what she’s already taken from the country…Doesnt it cost some 80+ thousand for every prisoner per year?? Smh Brilliant.
Question: If the money was obtained illegally, insurance fraud, and then wired to Sri lanka, why wasn’t she also charged with Money Laundering? Just a thought. Seems to me she got off real easy and will then live in Sri Lanka off the procedes of a crime. SMH
Did she commit home invasion, burgulary, aggrivated assault, attempted murder, violent handbag snatch, rape, felony use of firearm, child molestation,etc etc.
All she did was rip of her employer that once thought enough of her to hire her ahead of one of us…….LOL baby! This happens more often that you think!
Yes you are so right, just imagine the ones that don’t get caught and there are plenty, one place I use to work had not 1 but 2 ex-pats take advantage of the company financially and just disappear.
You can only imagine about the numbers we never hear about!
Agreed. She got off lightly. Don’t forget to slap the good behaviour on top of that and she will be out before the end of next year. Crap. Justice. Always said nowadays it pays to do the crime. The only thing u lose is your freedom for a while. In this crazy world/island a vacation in Dockyard doesnt seem so bad.
NO DOCKYARD…FERRY REACH FOUR STAR PLUS…
Let’s do the math $76,297/18 months = $4,769 per month that she “earns” while being in prison (and no deductions, that will be covered by us – the taxpayers)…love justice in Bermuda!
Yet, I have seen cases where a judge will force someone to repay an institution as well as receive jail time…smh!
FYI ALL
Clients of BF&M will feel this blow double time as cases of insurance fraud cause premiums to go up to recoup the loses. Not to mention as a taxpayer it cost approx. $70k+ per yr to house this fraudster at CO-ED.
OMG – I just checked the currency exchange – a mindblowing 8,405,750.52 LKR = 76,298.00 BMD (1BMD = 110.170 LKR (Sri Lankan Rupees)
When she is finally released from CO-ED she is going home a millionaire!
16 months!! They need to be sent back from wherever they came from and NEVER to return. As a taxpayer why should I have to pay???? This nonsence needs to stop!!!
and here it is just the other day a single mother was facing 3 months if she did not come up with $5000 that she owed for bills..There apparently is no guidline and the Magistrate can fine and sentence just as they like..that’s scary suppose you go to court and the Magistrate doesn’t like you……
Put her to work figuring out were exactly former premier DREB stashed all that over run cash .
nice!
Thats all !!!!!!!!!!!!!! for someone that commited multiple acts which affects thousands of other people, we all know the insurance companies will just raise our premiums to cover their so called losses.