A janitor who found $93,000 in a dirty toilet in August 2011 was awarded $76,000 of it this week for his good deed. The rest of the money will go to the state.
Chamimdu Amarsinghe was cleaning bathrooms in Australia’s Channel 9 headquarters in Docklands when he discovered a toilet filled with fifty and one hundred dollar bills.
“There was too much to count — I thought someone was playing a prank on me,” he said. “But when I touched the notes — all yellow and green — I realized it was real money.”
Upon discovery, Amarsinghe immediately summoned his supervisor. Police and a plumber retrieved the money from the pipes.
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On Tuesday, Magistrate Michael Smith ordered the bulk of the money to the good Samaritan saying, “There’s no reason why such honesty should go unrewarded.”
Detective Senior Constable Daniel Thorne, who investigated the case, agreed. “All the guys in the office felt the same. He’s a struggling student who straight-up didn’t even think of pocketing it.”
Amarsinghe, who now works as a fast food worker, is studying IT in New Zealand. Describing his new fortune as a blessing, the former janitor will donate some money to help the disabled and some to a Buddhist temple in Berwick.
“I’m really, really lucky.” he said. “I’m not going to waste it.”