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21 arrested over Rohitha Rajapaksa’s hotel attack

26 Aug 2022

  • Released on bail after being arrested on charges of having set fire to and stolen from hotel
  • More arrests expected over the coming days
  BY Dinitha Rathnayake    A total of 21 suspects who were arrested on charges of having set fire to and stealing property from a hotel in Kolonna that reportedly belongs to Rohitha Rajapaksa, the son of Government MP Mahinda Rajapaksa, have been enlarged on bail. Speaking to The Morning, the Kolonna Police claimed that all the suspects who had been granted bail had stolen property from and set fire to the said hotel in the Gongalakanda area on 10 May 2022. A total of four suspects had been arrested on Monday (22) and Tuesday (23) by officials from the Kolonna Police Station. They were identified as residents of Kolonna, aged between 25 and 50 years. When inquired, the Kolonna Police said that the Sinharaja Green Eco Lodge is owned by Ravindu Soysa and Rohitha Rajapaksa. The Kolonna Police is conducting further investigations, and more are expected to be arrested in connection with the incident. Multiple attempts to contact Rohitha Rajapaksa yesterday (25) proved futile. Sajeewa Chamikara of the Movement for Land and Agricultural Reform (MONLAR) previously alleged that a hotel named Sinharaja Green Eco Lodge was causing great damage to the Sinharaja ecosystem through the development of a road leading to the hotel, and that the hotel project is linked to former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Chief of Staff Lt. Commander Yoshitha Rajapaksa.  “Until recently, the hotel operated under the name Sinharaja Green Eco Lodge, which was the name given to the hotel by the first owner. However, the board has been removed now, and a by-road leading to the hotel is being repaired. This is a 1.5 km stretch of road. Those constructing the road are excavating the forest for the soil used to expand the road. There are a number of species of lizards, geckos, amphibians, snakes, and frogs that only live in this area, and most of them face a severe threat of extinction,” he claimed.  The hotel is situated near the Sinharaja Forest Reserve on the eastern slope of the Gongala Mountain at the Boraluwage Aina Grama Niladhari Division in the Kolonna Divisional Secretariat in the Ratnapura District.  The initial owner of the hotel, which spans around 12 acres, was a person called Roshan Wijesinghe, the owner of Asiri Cake, Deniyaya.  “The property was later bought by Soysa, an employee of the Rajapaksa family. Wijesinghe apparently had to sell the property under pressure for Rs. 40 million. Soysa is currently in charge of the management of the property. Several other nearby lands, too, have been purchased by associates of Yoshitha Rajapaksa, on his behalf, following the acquisition of the hotel,” alleged Chamikara. “Moreover, the Hayes Estate had donated 20 acres of tea land that adjoined the hotel. This donation followed moves by Rajapaksa to take over the entire estate. A director of the Mathurata Plantation Company had proposed the donation of 20 acres as a ploy to prevent Rajapaksa from taking over the entire estate.” When contacted by The Morning at the time, Sinharaja Green Eco Lodge Owner Soysa claimed that this was just a personal and political issue created by villagers and people involved in politics. When questioned about his relationship with the Rajapaksa family, he declined to comment, saying that it was his personal business and not something he wished to comment on to The Morning. He added that the developments in Gongala have no relation to the Sinharaja Green Eco Lodge, and that they have other access routes to reach the place. Speaking to The Morning at the time, Yoshitha Rajapaksa said that he had no connection to the Sinharaja Green Eco Lodge, adding that this case had been brought forward by an environmentalist a year ago, and that he had also sent a letter of demand against the same person last year, through his lawyers.  “Since this issue was not publicly raised after that, I did not take any action. I have no lands in Sinharaja, and neither does the said lodge belong to me. I have no personal connection with Soysa.”  He also claimed that he was dragged into the matter due to his political background.


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