Police investigations on Gota over Lanka Hospitals

17 March 2015 12:47 pm

The Police Financial Fraud Investigation Division (PFFID) has launched an investigation into a financial fraud that is alleged to have taken place between 2009 and 2014 at the Lanka Hospitals Corporation PLC under the chairmanship of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.


The PFFID informed Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris that the investigations were based on a complaint lodged by Dr. Neomal Alexander Perera, a cancer specialist attached to the Lanka Hospitals.  


The Magistrate directed the police to file an investigation report in Court on June 4.


In his complaint, Dr. Perera said that Mr. Rajapaksa was appointed as the Lanka Hospitals Chairman after Sri Lanka Insurance reverted to government ownership after 65.14% shares were acquired by the state.   


The complainant said Mr. Rajapaksa took control of the affairs of the hospital and was responsible for a financial fraud amounting to Rs.600 million that took place after artificially manipulating the price of a Lanka Hospital shares at the stock market.


The complainant said Mr. Rajapaksa was also responsible for the rapidly increasing costs incurred on the board of directors amounting to Rs.12 million in 2014.


He said a fraud of Rs.350 million had been taken place when the hospital set up the LHD Diagnostics Laboratory and that several irregularities had occurred when purchasing two houses by the Lanka Hospitals without following a proper tender procedure. (Lakmal Sooriyagoda)