Gowers Corp Money laundering case Further trial postponed for Feb 12

By T. Farook Thajudeen   

Further trial in Gowers Corporation money laundering case against Government MP Namal Rajapaksa and four others was fixed for February 12, 2020 by the Colombo High Court. . Hovael Constructions Chairman J. Selvanayagam  testified before High Court Judge Manjula Thilakeratne.   

The Attorney General had filed indictments against MP Rajapaksa and four others for money laundering to the tune of Rs.30 million through Gowers Corporate Services (Pvt) Limited.   

The four accused  were Namal Rajapaksa, Nithya Senani Samaranayake, Sujani Bogollagama and Iresha Silva, the directors of Gowers Corporation Pvt. Ltd.   

The Attorney General indicted the accused on 11 counts under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for their alleged involvement in money laundering amounting to Rs. 30 million in Gowers Corporate Services (Pvt) Limited during 2013 and 2014.   

The Gowers Corporate Services (Pvt) Limited is a company that had provided coordinating services to SriLankan Airlines.   

The FCID initiated investigations into this matter following a complaint by Voice Against Corruption Convener Wasantha Samarasinghe who  alleged that MP Namal Rajapaksa had bought shares of Hello Corp and set up a company called Gowers Corporate Services (Pvt) Limited, while being an MP, from the Rs.125 million earned through illegal means.