House for MR in Kataragama sparks CID inquiry

Colombo, March 11 (Daily Mirror) - A house built in Kataragama for former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has prompted an investigation by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID). Dishan Gunasekara, the Basnayake Nilame (chief lay custodian) of the Ruhunu Kataragama Maha Devalaya, was questioned by CID officers yesterday regarding the property.

In a statement to the media, Gunasekara clarified that the house, which had been constructed in the area, was built by an individual named Wimalaratne and funded by the former Chief Incumbent of the Kataragama Kiriwehera Temple. 

Gunasekara revealed that he was the only person with knowledge of the details surrounding the construction, as the builder is currently ill, and the temple's former Chief Incumbent has passed away.

Gunasekara stressed that the house was not owned by Rajapaksa but was part of a series of structures designed to accommodate the former president during his visits to the region. 

He further explained that, during the war, Rajapaksa preferred staying in houses or small annexes built within temple grounds, rather than in hotels. This house, Gunasekara said, was another such residence built for the president's temporary use.

The CID's inquiry comes as questions have arisen regarding the origins of the property, with Gunasekara's statements shedding light on its purpose and the context of its construction.