H’tota oil refinery a money laundering project: UPFA

The Hambantota oil refinery project was not a genuine investment but is an attempt at money laundering to bring down money earned illegally through the Central Bank bond scam, UPFA MP Shehan Semasinghe said yesterday.

He told parliament that Transparency International had also cast aspersions with regard to a money laundering attempt behind this project.

The MP said this project was only meant to mark the Prime Minister's birthday and it was not a genuine investment.

He told parliament that even the investor had made an announcement that it will take another year to finalize the project with Oman saying it had not taken a decision on investing in Sri Lanka on a oil refinery project.

"We wonder how the Omani oil minister was brought here for the launching of the project and deceive the people," the MP said.

He said according to the laws of Sri Lanka, a company needs to produce audit reports of three years to obtain the bunkering report and added that the said investor 'Silver Park' had been established only two years ago.

Minister Malik Samarawickrame rejected allegations of money laundering and said the money was coming through banking sources and there was no room for such activities. (Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera)