By Sunimalee Dias
Touchwood investors and depositors have lodged complaints with the police relating to moves by the company’s present management to felling trees, which the latter insists was carried out as part of its maintenance strategy.
Investors told the Business Times that on Tuesday morning a group of persons arrived in a cab at Touchwood’s Matale Selani Estate comprising mahogany trees and felled a number of them. The group saidthey had been authorised, showing a letter, by Chief Executive Officer of Touchwood Investment PLC Lanka Kiwlegedara to carry out this work.
Following this incident an investor who was informed of this turn of events had visited the site and had later lodged an entry with the Matale police. In a similar incident, in Eheliyagoda a group of persons had arrived and felled trees about three months back on the company’s Gomaragala Eheliyagoda estate of mahogany trees. On May 25 when some investors had visited the site they learnt that the site office was not functioning and that some trees had been felled and a lorry that turned up at the location left the place.On learning that this has been carried out for a period of about three months, the investors had lodged a complaint with the police.
However, Mr. Kiwlegedara speaking with the Business Times confirmed he had issued letters to remove trees on lands as part of the maintenance of the plantations in a bid to remove any tress that would obstruct the cultivation of other trees. On the other hand, he also noted that while he clearly remembers issuing a letter for the Matale estate he was uncertain of the Eheliyagoda estate.
Mr. Kiwlegedara claimed that some people who were previously working for the Touchwood organisation also had felled trees against which the company had lodged entries with the respective authorities.
He also pointed out that his new office premises located at No. 5/3, Ratnayaka Mawatha, Pelawatta, Battaramulla would open to the public tomorrow. He said three new additions would be made to the board which now comprises Anurudh Dias Bandaranaike and Upul Peiris and himself.
Meanwhile Touchwood Stakeholders Association co-ordinator lawyer Lakshan Dias and another group of investors said they would be initiating legal action against the present management for the felling of trees at these plantations in which a number of depositors had invested large sums of money.
Mr. Dias also said that sandalwood trees at another Touchwood estate in Balangoda had been felled.
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Touchwood investors and depositors have lodged complaints with the police relating to moves by the company’s present management to felling trees, which the latter insists was carried out as part of its maintenance strategy.
Investors told the Business Times that on Tuesday morning a group of persons arrived in a cab at Touchwood’s Matale Selani Estate comprising mahogany trees and felled a number of them. The group saidthey had been authorised, showing a letter, by Chief Executive Officer of Touchwood Investment PLC Lanka Kiwlegedara to carry out this work.
Following this incident an investor who was informed of this turn of events had visited the site and had later lodged an entry with the Matale police. In a similar incident, in Eheliyagoda a group of persons had arrived and felled trees about three months back on the company’s Gomaragala Eheliyagoda estate of mahogany trees. On May 25 when some investors had visited the site they learnt that the site office was not functioning and that some trees had been felled and a lorry that turned up at the location left the place.On learning that this has been carried out for a period of about three months, the investors had lodged a complaint with the police.
However, Mr. Kiwlegedara speaking with the Business Times confirmed he had issued letters to remove trees on lands as part of the maintenance of the plantations in a bid to remove any tress that would obstruct the cultivation of other trees. On the other hand, he also noted that while he clearly remembers issuing a letter for the Matale estate he was uncertain of the Eheliyagoda estate.
Mr. Kiwlegedara claimed that some people who were previously working for the Touchwood organisation also had felled trees against which the company had lodged entries with the respective authorities.
He also pointed out that his new office premises located at No. 5/3, Ratnayaka Mawatha, Pelawatta, Battaramulla would open to the public tomorrow. He said three new additions would be made to the board which now comprises Anurudh Dias Bandaranaike and Upul Peiris and himself.
Meanwhile Touchwood Stakeholders Association co-ordinator lawyer Lakshan Dias and another group of investors said they would be initiating legal action against the present management for the felling of trees at these plantations in which a number of depositors had invested large sums of money.
Mr. Dias also said that sandalwood trees at another Touchwood estate in Balangoda had been felled.
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