FCID Probe:

Basil to make statement on April 24

by Manjula Fernando

Former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa will make a statement to the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) on April 24, his Attorney Udaya Rohan de Silva said.

Refuting reports that the former minister had fled the United States to Vietnam, de Silva said Rajapaksa had been in the US since January and will arrive in Sri Lanka after his medical check up. This has been communicated to the relevant authorities including the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General.

The minister was issued notice under Section 124 of the Criminal Procedure Code on March 26 by Kaduwela Magistrate Dhammika Hemapala to appear before the Financial Crimes Investigation Divison to record a statement.

The police sought court intervention when their attempts to reach the former minister via the Secretary General of Parliament failed.

An authoritative source said the former minister had obtained his telephones to the Presidential Secretariat address and he had last resided in a house belonging to a lawyer in Gampaha. The investigating officers also found a house allegedly belonging to him in Colombo 7.

Refuting reports that the former minister had fled the United States to Vietnam, de Silva said Rajapaksa had been in the US since January and will arrive in Sri Lanka after his medical check up. This has been communicated to the relevant authorities including the Inspector General of Police and the Attorney General.

The former minister was issued notice under Section 124 of the Criminal Procedure Code on March 26 by Kaduwela Magistrate Dhammika Hemapala to appear before the Financial Crimes Investigation Divison to record a statement.

The police sought court intervention when their attempts to reach the former minister via the Secretary General of Parliament failed. An authoritative source said the former minister had obtained his telephones to the Presidential Secretariat address and he had last resided in a house belonging to a lawyer in Gampaha. The investigating officers also found a house allegedly belonging to him in Colombo 7. The police sought court intervention when their attempts to reach the former minister via the Secretary General of Parliament failed. An authoritative source said the former minister had obtained his telephones to the Presidential Secretariat address and he had last resided in a house belonging to a lawyer in Gampaha. The investigating officers also found a house allegedly belonging to him in Colombo 7.

Tracing his whereabouts only up to Dubai and with the impression that he may be residing overseas, the investigating officers told the magistrate that the Immigration authorities should be permmitted to serve the notice to the ex-Minister on his arrival at the BIA. Subsequently, the Magistrate issued the ruling.

“This was misreported in the media; that he had been issued an arrest warrant and the Minister is to be arrested on his arrival.

It was misreported due to the mere fact that, the ruling was given to hand over the notice at the BIA,” said Attorney de Silva.

“The FCID filed four applications on financial fraud before the Kaduwela Magistrate on March 26 and requested his presence to record a statement with regard to one of the cases.” The attorney said there was a necessity to record a statement from Rajapaksa, the minister in charge of this subject at the time. Police spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekera said the former Director General of the Divineguma Department R.R.K.Ranawaka in his statement to the FCID had said that the ex-minister ordered him to spend certain Divineguma funds on his brother, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election campaign. Ranawaka was questioned over misappropriation of Rs. 63 million and other shady transactions following complaints to the FCID.

Former Secretary to the Economic Development Ministry Dr.Nihal Jayathilake was also questioned by the FCID officers.

The Police spokesman said the four cases being investigated entail compensation and gratuity payments for Rs.1.73 billion under the Divineguma when it was converted into a Department, house renovation program under the Divineguma that involved a massive Rs.2.99 billion, printing of alleged election propaganda in the guise of New Year leaflets at a cost of Rs.29.4 million and holding a convention of Divineguma beneficiaries during the election period, spending Rs.63.7 million.

Later, the notice summoning Rajapaksa for a statement at the FCID was accepted by an officer at the former minister’s Gampaha office "We informed the Kaduwela Magistrate that since the notice has been accepted that there was no necessity to involve the Immigration officials and issue the notice at the Airport,” his attorney said.

The Magistrate said the ruling to the Immigration can be recalled only in the presence of the FCID officials. “The Magistrate informed us that this cannot be done ex-parte”, he said.