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Johnston blames Ranjan for Pandora probe delay

09 Mar 2022

 
  • Anura Kumara raises suspicion that Prez allowed matter to be swept under the rug
  • Ranjan gave affidavit to CIABOC ‘a few days ago’, says Johnston
  Responding to a query about the delay in investigations into Sri Lankans implicated in the Pandora Papers, Highways Minister and Chief Government Whip Johnston Fernando in Parliament yesterday (8) attributed the delay to a request made by former Samagi Jana Balawegeya (SJB) Opposition Parliamentarian Ranjan Ramanayake and the subsequent delay on the part of Ramanayake in submitting his affidavit. “Ramanayake had made a request to give proof regarding the revelations contained in the Pandora Papers. Then, he had requested for some time, and subsequently, his lawyer contracted Covid-19. Due to these delays, there was a delay in finalising the investigations started by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC),” Fernando said in Parliament yesterday. However, he added that Ramanayake had given his written affidavit to the CIABOC a few days ago. Fernando was responding to queries raised by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) Leader and MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake who raised concerns about the delay in the investigations, adding that the public being kept in the dark about the progress of the investigations has created a question among the general public. President Rajapaksa, on 6 October 2021, instructed the CIABOC to launch an immediate investigation into the allegations against Sri Lankans implicated in the Pandora Papers files leak in connection with transactions, including the maintenance of large cash deposits. The Presidential Secretariat’s Legal Affairs Director General and Attorney-at-Law Harigupta Rohanadheera, in his letter to the CIABOC, has requested a report regarding the matter within a month from 6 October. However, neither Nirupama Rajapaksa nor Nadesan were named in the letter. Dissanayake said yesterday that there is a “reasonable suspicion” that the President merely requested a report at the time due to the focus on the matter, and that he has now allowed it to be swept under the rug. Ramanayake’s legal counsel wrote to the CIABOC in October 2021, stating that he is willing to provide a statement about the investigation into the revelations made in the Pandora Papers files leak about former Deputy Minister Nirupama Rajapaksa and her husband, Thirukumar Nadesan. Ramanayake is presently serving a four-year prison sentence after being convicted of contempt of court early this year. However, last month, the CIABOC told The Morning that although they had requested the said lawyers to confirm a date for an affidavit, they are still waiting for the lawyers to confirm a date to record a statement from Ramanayake. “If what Fernando is saying is correct – that the delay in the investigations was due to the delay on the part of Ramanayake – then we expect a report about it in Parliament next week as Ramanayake has now given his affidavit,” said Dissanayake. “Once it comes, we shall see,” said Fernando in response. Nirupama Rajapaksa – the niece of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, and Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa – and her husband, Thirukumar Nadesan, have been named in the recent International Consortium of Investigative Journalists Pandora Papers files leak. The documents allege that the couple were involved in shell companies (inactive companies used as vehicles for various financial manoeuvres or kept dormant for future use in some other capacity) located in tax havens, which in turn obtained lucrative consulting contracts from foreign companies doing business with the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL). Nadesan has given two statements to the CIABOC regarding the matter, whilst the CIABOC has also stated that they have received bank statements and other documents for study. The CIABOC has also recorded a statement from Nirupama Rajapaksa.


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