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‘Govt. Corruption : Rajapaksas being hauled to CID to divert attention’

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17 August 2017 06:34 pm - 35     - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

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Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa said in the wake of the ‘yamapalana’ government's fraud and corruption coming to light in dramatic and unexpected ways, the government is engaged in a desperate attempt to divert attention by hauling his family members to the CID and the FCID.

In a statement issued today, he said three members of his family including his wife Shiranthi and their sons Yoshitha and Rohitha were questioned by the CID and FCID this week.

“For the first time, my youngest son Rohitha was also hauled before the FCID on Tuesday. What the people saw this week is a part of the 'yamapalana' propaganda offensive against me, my family and the entire opposition,” Mr. Rajapaksa said.

His statement is as follows:

"Three members of my family – my wife Shiranthi Rajapaksa and our younger sons Yoshitha and Rohitha were questioned by the CID and FCID this week. My wife was asked why the colour of a jeep that had been made available by the Red Cross to her charity Siriliya Saviya in 2011 and used by the Presidential Secretariat had been changed. International NGOs make their vehicles available to local charities once their projects are over. My wife had told the CID that she knows nothing about the maintenance or repair of vehicles used by the Presidential Secretariat. On Wednesday, the CID obtained a statement from my son Yoshitha on the same matter. He had been asked whether he had given instructions to anyone to change the colour of this vehicle. To this Yohitha had replied in the negative and explained that the transport division of the presidential secretariat maintains the vehicles and gets them painted if necessary. He had been asked whether he had used this jeep as his back up vehicle to which he had replied that it is the PSD that assigns any available vehicle for his back up team and that he had no role in the matter.

For the first time, my youngest son Rohitha was also hauled before the FCID on Tuesday. He was asked whether he was a shareholder of ‘Supreme Sat’ which was the first Sri Lankan company to be involved in the launch of a communications satellite. Rohitha had explained that he does not hold any shares in Supreme Sat directly or indirectly and that he was a paid employee of that company with the designation of Technical Director from July 2012 to July 2014 after which he left to concentrate on higher studies. The FCID had thereupon wanted to know whether he had helped Supreme Sat to get their licences. Rohitha had explained that by the time he joined Supreme Sat in 2012, they had already acquired their licence and that he had been introduced to Supreme Sat by a Chinese businessman who had come to South Hampton University in England to recruit new graduates for his company.

South Hampton is the only University in Britain running a course in Space Systems Engineering. Seven students graduated in 2012 one of whom was Rohitha. The satellite that was launched in 2012 is owned by the Chinese government and Supreme Sat which is a Sri Lankan private sector entity has leased six of the 36 transponders on the satellite with a view to providing satellite communication services to Sri Lankan customers. I have been informed that the main investor in this company is a prominent Singaporean businessman.

What the people saw this week is a part of the yamapalana propaganda offensive against me, my family and the entire opposition. Members of my family are told to appear before various police units and the police plant the story in the media that this is to obtain statements about the Tajudeen matter. What is important to the yamapalana government are the media reports generated – not the contents of the statements obtained. When my youngest son Rohitha was summoned by the FCID, pro-yamapalana websites claimed falsely that hundreds of millions of rupees of government money had been spent on sending a satellite into orbit. In actual fact, there was no involvement of the Sri Lankan government in this satellite services company at all. The CID and the FCID are with the government in this propaganda offensive. Last Wednesday, within minutes of Yoshitha having given his statement to the CID, a pro-yamapalana website posted a story about the questions that he is supposed to have been asked.

As the corruption of the yamapalana government comes to light in dramatic and unexpected ways, they are engaged in a desperate attempt to deflect public attention by hauling members of my family to the CID and FCID. The extent of the panic in the yamapalana government is evident in the shrill announcement that special courts will be established to hear cases involving the Rajapaksas. This is in complete violation of the constitutional provisions relating to the equality of all persons before the law and the presumption of innocence. Even if such a special court is set up, what is the evidence that can be placed before this court? The government claims that properties worth Rs. five billion belonging to members of my family had been seized by the state or courts of law. This is a complete falsehood.

No property belonging to any member of my family has been seized by the state or any court of law. What the government has been trying to do is to claim that properties belonging to other people actually belong to us, and in the process they have caused terrible harassment to certain individuals. No member of my family has been found to be in possession of liquid or fixed assets, the provenance of which cannot be explained. Every member of the public knows that the same cannot be said about Ministers of the yamapalana government. No previous government has harassed the families of opposition politicians in the manner of the present yamapalana government.


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  Comments - 35

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  • TONY Thursday, 17 August 2017 06:42 PM

    NO... IT WAS YOU WHO WOULD ALWAYS THROW A RED HERRING TO DIVERT ATTENTION ON SOME MATTERS THAT YOU, YOUR SONS OR YOUR BROTHERS WERE INVOLVED IN. CAN YOU DENY THAT YOUR BRO BASIL WAS LIKE GOLD FINGER PUTTING HIS HAND TO THE KITTY THE SAME YOU DID WITH HIM WITH DONATIONS RECEIVED FOR TSUNAMI FOR A SHORT PERIOD WHEN CBK WAS OUT OF THE COUNTRY???

    Voter Friday, 18 August 2017 09:29 AM

    It is immaterial what happens as long as they are convicted.

    B S Perera Thursday, 17 August 2017 06:48 PM

    "Karana kalata pavu meeriya mee se - Vindina kalata pavu dadi wei gini se" "කරන කළට පව් මීරිය මීසේ - විඳින කළට දුක් දැඩි වෙයි ගිනි සේ"

    concern Thursday, 17 August 2017 07:19 PM

    What a petty reason to get them for questioning when there are major reasons they are not questioning.

    ceylon Thursday, 17 August 2017 07:19 PM

    kalade palade.rest of your life will be same.every action has reaction. via DM Android App

    Maya Thursday, 17 August 2017 07:27 PM

    Yes, they wanted you take and disappear. But thinking that as a weakness you cross them and now going to pay for it.

    Nihal Amarasekera Thursday, 17 August 2017 07:30 PM

    Ok, so if you mean to say that "yahapalana Government" is trying to prosecute your family members just to divert attention from the very apparent misdoings by this Government; does it also mean that you say that your family did not misuse the power as no single family has ever done?

    Arnold Thursday, 17 August 2017 07:48 PM

    There is nothing to hide. Whoever wronged in this government, have been inquired already.

    Dr. A.,C.B. Jayaweera Thursday, 17 August 2017 07:48 PM

    Mr. Mahinda you will have to die as a sinner who robbed and looted Srilanka and developed only your family.

    Bubble Banda Thursday, 17 August 2017 08:07 PM

    Very soon it will happen ... sorry for our former President.

    Benjamin Manuel Thursday, 17 August 2017 07:51 PM

    MR we will only MS who is honest. You and your family will suffer and suffer for all your wrong doings.

    Krishnasamy Gopal Iyar Thursday, 17 August 2017 08:09 PM

    As long as MR lives, MR and his family will live with mental agony and die before their allotted time.

    One shot Ranjan Thursday, 17 August 2017 07:53 PM

    You are a dam liar Mahinda.

    Kadupol Jothywansa Thursday, 17 August 2017 07:55 PM

    Tell us how many billions you have given to Wijedasa Rajapakshe to cover your family members curruptions.

    Koswatte Amarasena Thero Thursday, 17 August 2017 08:00 PM

    MR - God above will reward you and your family for looting our country.... This is a curse to be fallen to your family. Be good man hereafter and rest peacefully without committing more sins.

    S.T.M. Jabeer (Attorney-at-Law) Thursday, 17 August 2017 08:03 PM

    How many container loads of Gold you and Gotta robbed and sold that and deposited in foreign banks, what a crime man... for that you will suffer mentally until your last breath.

    Kiris Baba Amaray Thursday, 17 August 2017 08:04 PM

    The whole world knows that you are a looter earned in billions on commissions... can you sleep peacefully Sir?

    J. Palitha Thursday, 17 August 2017 08:06 PM

    Believe me, I have personally seen you shouting like a 3rd class drunkard at Carlton, behave yourself man.

    Vijith Thursday, 17 August 2017 08:13 PM

    Sir, honestly you touch your heart and say whether you are an Angel or an Evil?

    Kumar Thursday, 17 August 2017 08:34 PM

    You are a Hero for destroying the Tiger terrorists but you used the same intensity and anger to crush any one who crossed your path that was your downfall otherwise you could have been a King.

    Sambo Thursday, 17 August 2017 08:43 PM

    The Pot calling the Kettle black. All the politicians rob the country and accuse each other. What a shame to be a citizen of such a country.

    ceylon Thursday, 17 August 2017 08:43 PM

    rajapaksa family looted money around two trillion ruppees.(two thousand billions.) usd 12 billions.next 30 years loss to the country can be usd 120 billion.rp 20 trillion.curse frm the nation. via DM Android App

    ceylon Thursday, 17 August 2017 08:46 PM

    this evil man robed the billions not from rich countries people.he robed from poor sri lankan people.you cant escape from the curse from 21 million people. via DM Android App

    karthik Thursday, 17 August 2017 09:03 PM

    Sir, you can be selected for Sri Lankan One day squad as you have become a good googly bowler now. Good Luck.

    JOLLY BIRD. Thursday, 17 August 2017 09:55 PM

    KALA KALA DHEY PALA PALA DHEY. THINK ABOUT THE PAST. AND THEN THINK ABOUT THE PRESENT. NO NEED TO WORRY N NO NEED TO SAY SORRY. via DM Android App

    maheshd Thursday, 17 August 2017 10:33 PM

    Any thief or bandit does not want his spouse and children to follow the footsteps. Our ex Prez has changed this concept by encouraging his family to do wrong doings. very sad !

    VMS Thursday, 17 August 2017 11:26 PM

    I want tell some thing to Mahinda Rajapakse. He thinks he is honest. It is the people of Sri Lanka who decides that. He and his family robbed us in style. Can he deny that?. His son Namal time to time makes statement which I am sick of it. I am not supporting UNP either. Most of them are crooks as well. But there are two people to whom I give great respect. One is our President and the second one is our Prime Minister. Without these two gentlemen we are lost.

    TONY Thursday, 17 August 2017 11:33 PM

    DO YOU DENY THAT YOU ACCEPTED A BRIBE FROM THE CHINESE FOR PROVIDING LESSONS IN SPACE SYSTEM ENGINEERING TO YOUR YOUNGEST SON????

    Pathirage Friday, 18 August 2017 12:37 AM

    What a shame..The above ungrateful people live in peacefully just because of you Hon. Mahinda Rajapaksha. At least you have done something to the nation. Are there investigations of UNP regime- batalanda, Goni Billa" in green pajero killed thousand of youth and burn them in tire. Unfortunately, most of the people have forgotten such a crucial period which we having seen the bombing of the temple of our sacred Tooth Relic-Dalada Maligawa, Central bank, Aranthalawa massacre. How about the culprits of the treasury bond issue??

    Dee Friday, 18 August 2017 06:17 AM

    Pick pocket. Sick of seeing your face.

    sena Friday, 18 August 2017 09:38 AM

    If you have NOT done anything wrong you do not have to panic. Also if you did something wrong you must have the backbone to say yes you did it. Simple

    kukula Friday, 18 August 2017 10:02 AM

    MR Just read all the reader comments, there are more curses than good spoken of you Just one in your favor.Therefore please get out from making public statements.

    gamini Friday, 18 August 2017 11:06 AM

    Rohitha graduated in 2012??? which year did he sit for his A levels exam?

    Lankan Friday, 18 August 2017 12:55 PM

    Why is the Editor of the DM supporting the Rajapakse family well known where they have robbed this country to the bone!!!!!

    cheers Friday, 18 August 2017 01:05 PM

    Do now worry when your time comes again to power ensure you take revenge against all those who harassed you and you family then they will know what is harassment and ensure it is proper.


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