Assessing Rajapaksa family's worth

by Special Correspondent

The current Government was swept into office, largely on an anti-corruption wave, given that the SLFP-UNP alliance pledged to deal with corrupt rulers of the previous regime.

Pic: Courtesy itnnews.lk

There had been agitation, some investigations initiated, but so far, barring the arrest of former strongman Basil Rajapaksa, process with regard to corruption investigations have been slow.

But foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera, last week sought to turn the tables and offered a direct attack.

At a media briefing held at the United National Party's headquarters, Sirikotha, Minister Samaraweera openly charged the former President of being corrupt and claimed, he had evidence to prove that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa's family wealth reached at least US$18 billion.

According to him, there is enough evidence gathered through intelligence services, to conclude that the Rajapaksa family could be valued at US$ 18 billion, and more work is being done to ascertain further details.

The information has been gathered by Intelligence sleuths and this is what Sri Lanka lost because it was public money, Samaraweera charged.

As for the assistance received to trace the money, Samaraweera said: "I'd rather not mention the countries, we are getting the expertise of four countries in the asset recovery operations."

According to persons we've been working with, the assets siphoned off from this country by the Rajapaksa family at large may amount to US$ 18 billion.

In fact, we have done a little better than the Libyans and the others because at least we know where US$ 2 billion is, but it is not an easy task and we are getting help and support to negotiate and get access to these funds."

Beyond the issue of alleged amassing of wealth, Minister Samaraweera was also in the mood to delve into a number of other issues, including the ill-fated discussion between President Maithripala Sirisena and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa at the parliamentary Complex last Monday.

"People have rejected Mahinda Rajapaksa at the elections and he had to go home. Some are dreaming of fielding him as the Prime Ministerial candidate," he said, adding, "Mahinda Rajapaksa will be 70 years old in November, and his twilight years would be best spent at home."

Clarifying the government's position on the parliamentary elections, Minister Samaraweera claimed that the same parliament will see the 20th Amendment to the Constitution through, before seeking a fresh mandate from the people.

"That's the promise President Sirisena has made to the SLFP. The UNP is supportive of the idea but we have to ensure that the new electoral system does not marginalize the small parties and the other ethnic parties, currently represented in Parliament."

Once the 20th Amendment is passed, Minister Samaraweera said, "The House can be dissolved that same night."

Credible domestic mechanism

Dealing with another contentious issue, the UN's call for a probe on alleged war crimes committed during the final phase of the war, Minister Samaraweera who spearheaded a human rights campaign against the former regime for years, told the media that it would be a credible domestic mechanism but an investigation is very much on the cards. "This is not something we are doing out of the blue. We told them even before hand during the election and during various stages of our discussions. Sri Lanka is not a signatory to the Rome Statute and therefore it will be the business of national independent judicial mechanisms to take it up."

Samaraweera insisted that the government will soon come up with a suitable domestic mechanism - with international technical assistance, thereby meting out justice and salvaging the good name of both the country and the Armed Forces.

Defending the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), Minister Samaraweera said, "That is an intrinsic part of the mandate given to us by the people of this country. To look into all these allegations of wide-scale corruption which existed during the last regime.

The very fact that they want it abolished shows that they are guilty. Because, with due respect, half of those accompanied former President Rajapaksa to meet President Sirisena, all have very serious allegations. It is a race against time to somehow get these investigations stopped."