News

Pandora papers: 4 more countries begin probes into alleged offshore secret wealth of elites

Published

5 years ago

2021/10/22

By Sanath Nanayakkare

The Pandora Papers had triggered a flurry of dramatic fallout around the world as current and former leaders in Chile, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, and Ukraine are facing official scrutiny over illegal financial dealings revealed by the Pandora Papers, International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) said yesterday.

“In addition, the list of officials from different countries pledging tax probes of those named in the files is growing”, ICIJ said.

“Further to these developments, we are also beginning to see plans for proposed reforms in the U.S. and the EU for shaking off their reputation for playing a central role in how rich people around the world seek to hide and accentuate wealth in their countries,” they noted.

“Our reporting has also had some early impact in the rarified world of precious artifacts: The Denver Art Museum is preparing to return four antiquities to Cambodia following our investigation with the Washington Post and other media partners on an indicted art dealer’s offshore links,” they added.

The government of India said on Oct. 04 that it would investigate cases related to Pandora papers. The official spokesperson of Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) of India said that the probe would be monitored by a team headed by the chairman of CBDT. Other representatives of the multi-agency group include the Enforcement Directorate, Reserve Bank of India, Financial Intelligence Unit and CBDT.

According to Pakistani media reports, more than 700 people in the country were named in the papers, among them two members of the cabinet.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan addressing a high-level dialogue on ‘Financing for Development’ held on the sidelines of the 74th session of the UN General Assembly said that movement of ‘ill-gotten’ money was devastating the developing countries across the world.

“We have been trying our best to retrieve that money”, he said, conceding that even when his government located properties made from illegal money by Pakistanis abroad, it faced a number of legal lacuna and difficulties in trying to bring that money back.

He called upon developed countries to do better as far as the return of illicit wealth was concerned, saying “there is a lack of political will in the rich countries because they gain from it”.

Sri Lanka’s Thirukumar Nadesan and his wife Nirupama Rajapaksa were named in the Pandora papers

According to Pandora papers, the British-educated Nadesan – businessman and trustee of several Sri Lankan Hindu charities and temples had established shell companies and trusts in offshore jurisdictions.

Soon after the exposé, Thirukumar Nadesan had written to President Gotabaya Rajapaksa declaring his innocence and requesting an impartial investigation.

Cabinet spokesman Dullas Alahapperuma said on 06 Oct. that the President had asked Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption to conduct an investigation and issue a report on the assets of Nirupama Rajapaksa and her husband Thirukumar Nadesan within one month.

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

Published

2 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

2 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

2 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.