Mangala in offshore container scam?

Police Headquarters will initiate an inquiry into a case where former Port and Civil Aviation Minister Mangala Samaraweera is claimed to have accepted Rs.270million from Kamil Kuthubdeen to facilitate an offshore container port during the regime of Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.

Ruwan Sugathadasa, one time Coordinating Secretary of late MP Sripathi Sooriyarachchi submitted an affidavit to the Inspector General of Police on Friday claiming that Mangala Samaraweera and his confidante Ruwan Ferdinandz had accepted Rs.270million from Kamil Kuthubdeen, who was charged as one of the main suspects of the biggest ever tax fraud in the country, the "VAT Scam" that went to the extent of billions of rupees, the sources said.

The affidavit claims that the aforesaid duo had claimed the sum of money from shipping tycoon Kamil Kuthubdeen who was also the proprietor of K Port (pvt) Ltd to approve him an offshore container port in Orugodawatta. Following the allegations levelled in the affidavit IGP N K Illangakoon had ordered to record a statement from Ruwan Sugathadasa, a senior officer attached to police headquarters confirmed the *Sunday Observer. *