News
Minister mentioned in new Pandora Papers leak
Owner of two companies in a tax haven
The name of a top Sri Lankan politician has emerged in the latest release of Pandora Papers two years after the first leak of financial secrets of shell companies in overseas tax shelters.The individual, a minister in President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s cabinet, has been identified as the beneficial owner of two such firms registered in the British Virgin Islands (BVI), a known tax haven.
Tiran Prasanna Christopher Alles is listed as the owner and director of Banham Ventures Limited and Brompton Properties since July 2017. Both are incorporated in the BVI.Reports linking Alles to the latest Pandora Papers were widely circulated on social media since Tuesday, but he had not publicly responded to them.
However, Minister Tiran Alles filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on August 15 over an allegation by the Frontline Socialist Party that he had offshore investments in an “European island.”
Responding to a question asked on Friday by this newspaper, Alles asked whether his was the only name listed in the report. If not, he said that singling out his name was a mischievous effort to tarnish his reputation.
While there were other Sri Lankan names in the report, they were not public figures.The FSP, a breakaway faction of the JVP, had also alleged that Alles had invested overseas jointly with the JVP, a charge denied by that party.
The progress of the CID investigation into Alles’s complaint was not immediately known. It is also not clear if the investigators have taken note of the latest Pandora Leaks.
When the names of former state minister Nirupama Rajapaksa and her husband Thirukumar Nadesan were mentioned in the first Pandora Papers leak in October 2021, then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa ordered an immediate investigation.
Rajapaksa wanted the investigation into his niece Nirupama and her husband completed within a month, but the findings were never made public.Some Sri Lankan businesses entities and their directors are known to operate offshore companies to facilitate international trade, but with prior approval from exchange control authorities. Sri Lankans who declare a tax residence at home are not free to invest overseas unless without prior central bank approval.
Sri Lanka has restricted the transfer of capital overseas.Pandora Papers were investigated by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) in collaboration with the BBC, the Washington Post, the Guardian, WDR/NDR (Germany) and others.
The cache of leaked documents included 11.9 million files from companies hired by wealthy clients to create offshore structures and trusts in tax havens such as Panama, Dubai, Monaco, Switzerland, the Cayman Islands and the British Virgin Islands.
According to international media reports, it is the world’s largest ever leak of offshore data to have exposed financial secrets of rich and powerful people.
Links to the pandora papers:
https://offshoreleaks.icij.org/nodes/240552449
https://offshoreleaks.icij.org/nodes/240550426
A specialists committee has been appointed by the Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation adhering to the decision of the Cabinet of Ministers dated 29.12.2025 for submitting appropriate recommendations analyzing the provisions of the draft bill formulation in regard to Animal Welfare.
Based on the recommendations of the said Committee, the Legal Draftsman has been instructed at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers held on 18.05.2026 to prepare the final bill on the animal welfare.
Wherefore, the Legal Draftsman has formulated the draft bill and the clearance of the Attorney General has been received in the connection.
Accordingly, the Cabinet of Ministers granted approval to the resolution furnished by the Minister of Agriculture, Livestock, Lands and Irrigation to publish the said draft bill in the
Government Gazette Notification and subsequently forward the same to the Parliament for its concurrence.
Under the legal provisions for elections in this country since 2004, it is mandatory for voters who come to mark their votes to verify their identity through a valid identity card, and it is also mandatory for all such voters to be marked with an appropriate mark using indelible ink. The dual purpose of these two functions is to prevent a voter from voting more than once in a single election.
It has been observed that having to follow two different
methods at the same time to achieve the same objective hinders the efficiency of the duties performed at the polling stations and also incurs additional costs to the government.
Therefore, it has been deemed appropriate to remove the legal provisions regarding the use of indelible ink and marking the voter with the appropriate mark from all election acts.
Accordingly, the development activities of the province, as well as national security, will benefit. Therefore, the Cabinet of Ministers has approved the resolution furnished by the
President to take necessary steps to remove the legal provisions
• Section 36 of the presidential Election Act, No 15 of 1981
• Section 38 of the Parliamentary Election Act, No 01 of 1981
• Section 36 of the Provincial Council Election Act, No 02 of 1988
• Section 53 A of the Local Government Elections Ordinance (262 Authority)
• Section 21 of the Referendum Act No 7 of 1981
News
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
WEATHER FORECAST FOR 24 JUNE 2026
Issued at 05.30 a.m. on 24 June 2026 by the Department of Meteorology
Several spells of showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts. Showers or thundershowers may occur at a few places in the Uva province and in Ampara and Batticaloa districts after 2.00 p.m.
Fairly strong winds about (30-40) kmph can be expectedat times over the Western slopes of the central hills, the Northern, North-central, North-western and Southern provinces and in Trincomalee district.
The general public is kindly requested to take adequate precautions to minimize damage caused by temporary localized strong winds and lightning during thundershowers.
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Legal provisions on marking voters using indelible ink during elections removed
Showers will occur in the Western, Sabaragamuwa and North-western provinces and in Galle, Matara, Kandy and Nuwara-Eliya districts
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