Mahinda Rajapaksa’s elder brother Chamal Rajapaksa would appear as a state witness against the frauds committed by Mahinda and his sons exercised during the previous regime, although highly unlikely, this what the a a leading news paper reported last week.
Former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa had been questioned by the FCID over the probe conducted on the CSN TV channel, which is said to be owned by the Rajapaksa family.
Citing FCID sources, weekend publication ‘Sath Handa’ reports that Mr. Chamal has said that he knows nothing of the matter and that everything was done by Mahinda Rajapaksa and his sons.
The newspaper also says that Chamal Rajapaksa has agreed to become a state witness.
Dr. Lalith Chandradasa, the brother-in-law of Mr. Mahinda and the treasurer of the foundation too, has also said he knew nothing pertaining to the matter, the newspaper adds.
The ‘Sath Handa’ report further says as follows :
A 29-perch land owned by the Urban Development Authority (UDA) was leased to the D.A. Rajapaksa Foundation under a 30-year lease for an annual rent of 163,125 rupees.
The request to provide the land was made in 2003 from the then Minister of Western Region Development – M. H. Mohommad. Back then, Mahinda Rajapaksa was the opposition leader. Later the land was transferred following an approval of a cabinet paper.
However, a condition was imposed declaring that the land should not be used for any other purpose other than for activities of the D.A. Rajapaksa Foundation.
UDA misled
However, no activity of the foundation was done on the premises. Instead, the main office building of the CSN network was built on the land.
According to the pact made, conducting business activities on the premises was deemed illegal.
No accounts
Meanwhile, it is learnt that Dr. Chandradasa possessed no information of the foundation’s accounting records.
According to the Parliament Act passed to incorporate the foundation, accounting records as well as annual audits were mandatory. However, no such proceedings have been made so far.
Investigations done so far have revealed that a colossal Rs. 300 million has been spent on the CSN.
Signed on Jan. 2015
However, the indenture of lease was hastily signed between the CSN and the Rajapaksa Foundation on Jan. 14, 2015, just a few days after the new government swept into power.
Meanwhile, an office of former minister Basil Rajapaksa has been built on an UDA owned land in Gampaha which was leased to the Rajapaksa Foundation.
It is said that the expenditure is Rs. 150 million. However, there are no accounting records.
Upon being questioned as to who had provided these funds, a member of the Basil Rajapaksa foundation – Upul Dissanayake has said that the funds were given by the late People’s Bank Chairman
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