Rajapaksa Fears Prosecution of Entire Family By new Government

Former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday expressed fears that the new government led by his successor Maithripala Sirisena might end up prosecuting his entire family, a day after his two younger brothers faced questioning by anti-graft investigators.

“Next, it will be Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Mahinda Rajapaksa, Namal Rajapaksa and Yoshitha Rajapaksa”, the former President said.

Namal — a Parliamentarian — and Yoshitha are Rajapaksa’s sons while Gotabhaya is his younger brother.

Rajapaksa’s comments came after he visited his youngest brother Basil Rajapaksa at the national hospital where he is warded under remand custody.

Basil Rajapaksa, the economic development minister in his older brother’s nearly decade long rule, was arrested on Wednesday by the police’s Financial Crime Investigation Unit.

He was accused of misappropriating 77 million rupees of state funds meant for livelihood development.

Rajapaksa said his family was being hounded by the Sirisena government on trumped up charges.

Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who served as the powerful defence ministry secretary, appeared on Thursday for the second time before the anti-graft commission as Basil faced his own interrogation behind bars.

The new government has pursued complaints of misdeeds under Rajapaksa’s regime and several top ranking officials have already faced prosecution.

Basil Rajapaksa arrested

Former Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa was arrested by the Colombo Financial Crimes Division a short while ago.

Attorney at law U.R, de Silva, Counsel appearing on behalf of Basil Rajapaksa. He went onto note that the B report is being compiled by the police adding that the former minister is due to be produced before the Kaduwela Magistrate along with two other persons.

Basil Rajapaksa appeared before the Financial Crimes Division on Wednesday (April 22nd) morning to provide a statement. According to sources the former minister was questioned from around 11 am to 5 pm. Basil Rajapaksa left the country soon after the presidential elections held in January and returned to the country on Tuesday (April 21st).

Basil to be back within days

Former economic development minister Basil Rajapaksa, who left the country soon after the presidential election, has decided to return soon.

He told that he would be back within days pursuant to a court notification for him to give a statement pertaining to alleged financial irregularities in the Divi Neguma Development Department.

He strongly rejected media reports that he had fled the country, and said he spent a few weeks’ vacation with his children after nine years of hectic life.

Rajapaksa said he would respond, immediately upon his return, to the charges against him, adding that he had never resorted to illegal acts. Financial irregularities of over Rs. 6,500 million The police spokesman said the ex minister would be questioned over financial dealings of the the Divi Neguma Development Department, as its director general R.R.K. Ranawaka had told police that he had followed Rajapaksa’s orders.

The financial crime division of the police will interrogate Rajapaksa over more than Rs. 6,500 million of financial irregularities in the Department. They include the withdrawal of Rs. 4,681 m plus Rs. 36.6 m of interest, from the Department account no. 76488889 of Battaramulla branch of the Bank of Ceylon. Also, Rs. 1,646 m had been withdrawn on four different occasions from the BoC Borella branch account no. 7041562 to the name of the DG of the Department.

The spending of Rs. 73 m on a conference, dividend money of Department employees, renovation of the homes of the Divi Neguma beneficiaries and the printing of a calendar during the presidential polls will also be investigated. When police had gone to the Medamulana address mentioned in Rajapaksa’s passport to handover the court order, its occupants had obstructed them.

Mervyn goes to CID against Gota and Basil

Former Public Relations Minister Mervyn Silva has lodged police complaints against members of the Rajapaksa family. Police sources told that the Parliamentarian has lodged complaints over bribery, corruption as well as criminal charges. 

Former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa and former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa were at the receiving end of former Minister’s attack.

Silva has told the CID that the former Economic Development Minister amassed wealth through illegal means and he had “files” with regard to his illegal transactions.

More serious charges have been leveled against former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa including the murders of former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wikcrematunga and a person named ‘Loku Seeya’.

Silva had said the former Defence Secretary was the main who was behind the “white van culture” in Sri Lanka over the past few years.

Speaking to media outside the CID premises, Silva said Basil Rajapaksa embezzled Rs. 6000 Million from 'Divineguma' funds.

Silva was a person who often claimed that he had utmost respect for the Rajapaksa family as he too hailed from Beliatta - the hometown of the Rajapaksas.

Meantime Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti  said that by complaining about Rajapaksas, Mervyn Silva does not get "immunity" over charges against him.

Handunnetti was referring to the complaints filed at the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) by former Public Relations Minister Mervyn Silva against Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Basil Rajapaksa.


"Mervyn Silva was once a very trusted and loyal liaison of the Rajapaksa family and also played a major role in handling their 'deals'", Handunnetti said.

However, the JVP Parliamentarian  said that a proper investigation against the two Rajapaksa brothers should be conducted since the accusation comes from a person who was a 'worshiper' of the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

"Nevertheless, what he says should not be accepted without proper investigations", warns the JVP parliamentarian.

Meanwhile, Handunnetti  asserted that 'wrongdoings' done by Silva hiding behind the protection of the former regime should also be investigated.

Basil says he won't return to SL

Former minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa has informed his aides that he would not return to Sri Lanka.

Also, in a letter the SLFP General secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, he has resigned from the post of SLFP national organiser after taking full responsibility for the defeat of his brother - Mahinda Rajapaksa at the recently concluded Presidential polls.

Basil Rajapaksa spearheaded the campaign of Mahinda Rajapaksa.

However, the letter further states that he would continue as a UPFA backbencher in parliament.
It is said that Basil Rajapaksa is currently residing in Los Angeles, US.

JVP to complain against Basil, Namal & Cabraal

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said it would complain to the Bribery Commission tomorrow (13) about alleged financial frauds committed by former UPFA Minister Basil Rajapaksa, parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa and former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal.

The JVP said it would also complain to the Commission against those involved in the controversial hedging deal. “Taking legal action according to the law against criminal offences is not seeking vengeance or revenge. We won’t allow political revenge to take place. We have all the details, files and evidence to support our claims. We will take action against corrupt personnel regardless of their political affiliation or status,” JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake told a news conference today.

He said they would follow up their complaints to the Commission and observe how the investigations are progressing. “If the Bribery Commission fails to carry out proper and prompt investigations on complaints as it used to do in the past, we will make sure that the errant commissioners who are delaying investigations be removed from the Commission,” Mr. Dissanayake said.

Basil flies back to US

Former minister of Economic Development, Basil Rajapaksa and his wife has left for the US early this morning (11), reports say.

They have boarded the Emirates Airways flight EK 349 which left for California at 2.55am from the Katunayake Bandaranaike International airport. The tickets, which were booked via a ticketing agency named Upul Travels owned by a one Upul Dharmadasa, are said to be one way tickets.

Basil Rajapaksa's Daughter's Wedding

The wedding of the daughter of Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa was held at the Galle Face Hotel recently. The bride is Imalka and  the groom John. Only a few guests were invited for ceremony. From the Cabinet of Ministers only Kumara Welgama and Gunaratne Weerakoon were invited. Apart from the President, members of the Rajapaksa family, close associates, old servants of the Medamulana Walauwa, several members of Basil’s ministry also attended the ceremony.

The welcome speech was delivered by Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa. The President, while listening to the speech quipped, “Speaker of Parliament is also the speaker in our family.”

What was notable at the ceremony was that alcohol was not served and the wedding feast consisted of local cuisine. The ceremony that started at 10:30 in the morning lasted till 3:30 in the afternoon. Then the couple departed in an antique Volkswagen to the Hilton Hotel to spend their honeymoon.


Below photos were taken at their engagement.

Basil Rajapaksha's Son's wedding

Basil Rajapaksa’s son's Wedding

Basil Rajapaksa’s son Asanka Rajapaksa wedded Shakya Samarasekera last week but surprisingly the wedding did not look like a grand royal affairs.

Although the President, the First Lady and other top echelons of the government graced the event, only a handful of Cabinet Ministers were invited for the wedding. Only three Cabinet Ministers namely Maithreepala Sirisena, Mervyn Silva and Athauda Seneviratne were among the invitees.

Quite obviously Mervyn Silva became the centre of attraction since he was considered as an ‘outcast’ by many in the wake of the upheavals in Kelaniya.