News

Clandestine offshore transactions: Finally, Nirupama’s statement recorded

Published

5 years ago

2021/12/10

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The police have questioned former MP Nirupama Rajapaksa as regards revelations made by Pandora Papers pertaining to secret offshore financial transactions.

Authoritative sources told The Island that the police unit assigned to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) recorded the former Deputy Minister’s statement on Dec 1, though the outfit was not aware of the development.

When The Island asked Secretary to the CIABOC Apsara Caldera on Dec 3 whether the former MP had been questioned, the official said they were yet to record her statement.

However, sources close to the investigation yesterday (9) confirmed that Rajapaksa’s statement had been recorded on the morning of Dec 1 at the CIABOC. She had been there for about three hours. However, the media hadn’t been informed of the development in spite of the CIABOC being accused of not recording her statement.

The CIABOC consists of retired Supreme Court Justice Eva Wanasundera, retired Appeals Court Justice Deepali Wijesundera and retired DIG Chandra Nimal Wakista, one-time head of the State Intelligence Service (SIS).

Pandora Papers alleged that Nirupama Rajapaksa and Thirukumar Nadesan together controlled a shell company the couple used to acquire luxury apartments in London and Sydney and to make investments.

It is alleged that Nadesan set up other shell companies and trusts in various jurisdictions, and he used them to secure lucrative consulting contracts from foreign companies doing business with the Sri Lankan government and to buy artwork.

According to the Pandora Paper leaks, in 2018, one of the companies, Pacific Commodities, transferred 31 paintings and other South Asian art pieces to the Geneva Freeport, an ultra-secure warehouse where assets are not subject to taxes or duties.

In confidential emails to Asiaciti Trust, a Singapore-based offshore services provider, a long-time adviser of Nadesan’s put his overall wealth, as of 2011, at more than $160 million. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists acknowledged that it couldn’t independently verify the figure. It was alleged that Asiaciti Trust managed some of Nadesan’s offshore companies and trusts, with assets valued at about $18 million, according to an ICIJ analysis.

Subsequently, Pandora Papers revealed transactions carried out by R. Paskaralingam, one-time Ministry Secretary and advisor to late Presidents Ranasinghe Premadasa, and D.B. Wijetunga and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe using similar loopholes

The CIABOC questioned Nirupama’s husband, Thirukumar Nadesan twice as regards the Pandora Papers revelations. Nirupama Rajapaksa first entered Parliament at the 1994 general election on the PA ticket. Nirupama served as deputy minister of water supply and drainage during the presidency of Mahinda Rajapaksa between 2010 and 2015.

Authoritative sources said that the CIABOC handled the investigation, having submitted an interim report to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as requested. Sources said that the CIABOC hadn’t been able to record Nirupama Rajapaksa’s statement before compiling the interim report for President Rajapaksa’s perusal.

Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has written to the President, the Speaker of Parliament and the Elections Commission of Sri Lanka calling for the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities of Former Deputy Minister Nirupama Rajapaksa. The request was made under the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities law (1975) and the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities (Amendment) law (1988).

According to the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities law (1975), candidates contesting for office in local government, provincial council, Parliament or for the post of President should submit their Declaration of Assets and Liabilities to the Elections Commission of Sri Lanka.

TISL pointed out that the Election Commission has expressed concerns over campaign expenditure. Similarly, it should be concerned about failure on the part of many lawmakers to declare their assets and liabilities.

The law further states that Members of Parliament should submit their Declarations of Assets and Liabilities to the Speaker of Parliament while Ministers and Deputy Ministers should submit their asset declarations to the President.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

9 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

9 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

9 hours ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.