Sajin Vaas’ questionable millions

*Rs. 200 to Rs. 400 million spent on property every two months
*Rs 200 million spent on a 40 perch land in Shady Grove Ave. Colombo 8
*Rs 210 million to construct 4 storeyed luxury house
*Rs 8 million spent on a generator for the house... and much more

Sajin de Vaas

Sri Lanka has clear laws about public property. Section 12(b) of the Offences Against Public Property Act No 12 of 1982 defines public property as ‘the property of the government, any department, statutory board, public corporation, bank, co-operative society or cooperative union’

The Act also stipulates that any person, whether a public servant or otherwise is liable for mischief caused to public property, theft, robbery, misappropriation or criminal breach of trust of public property, cheating, forgery or falsification in relation to public property and attempting to commit any of the above offences.

The law on the offences against public property also clearly states that any person who commits any of the above offences shall upon conviction be punished with a term not less than one year and not exceeding twenty years along with a fine of three times the value of the public property in respect of which such offence was committed..

by Ranil Wijayapala

Although on paper there are strict rules and regulations pertaining to public property, many are the times these laws have been observed in the breach and the public were having serious doubts as to whether any of those laws were implemented against persons who openly misused public property and flouted the law.

When a poor school girl stepped into a neighbouring land to pick some coconuts to earn some money to pay her school fees, she was hauled before courts, the law was effected and punishment was meted out. In sharp contrast, when politicians openly flouted the law, officials who were responsible turned a blind eye.

A case in point is Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena, UPFA MP from the Galle district and the former monitoring MP for the External Affairs Ministry - a close confidante of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Sajin de Vaas was well-known to initiate ventures that brought very little to state coffers but money filtered into his pocket. Now the law has taken its course and he is now under arrest for alleged misuse of vehicles belonging to the Presidential Secretariat.

The CID which was probing missing vehicles from the Presidential Secretariat, arrested Sajin de Vaas Gunawardena on May 11 after questioning him. It is reported that 20 vehicles purchased by the Presidential Secretariat on a lease basis from a private finance company had been deployed for the use of an Aviation company run by Sajin de Vaas.

Sleuths

The Special Investigations Unit of the CID has also recorded a statement from the former President’s Secretary, Lalith Weerathunga in this regard.

This is not the only case where Sajin de Vaas is involved and is being questioned by sleuths of the Bribery Commission and different Divisions of the Police.

The Financial Crime Investigation Division (FCID)of the Police is also conducting investigations over a complaint over the violation of financial regulations by Sajin de Vaas who has defaulted a Rs.140 million leasing facility taken from the People’s Leasing Company, a subsidiary of the state owned People’s Bank to purchase tippers for Cosmin Construction Pvt Ltd, a construction company under him.It has been reported that formal procedure has not been followed in this transaction, as vehicle registration documents have not been handed over to the People’s Leasing Company.

Violation

Not a single leasing instalment has been paid up to date to the People’s Leasing Company after the purchase of these vehicles and is in clear violation of financial regulations of the Leasing Company.

The FCID is investigating a case where students undergoing pilot training at Cosmos Aviation Pvt Ltd, providing aviation facilities to individuals and providing pilot and ground handling training for trainee pilots, complained that the company had not adhered to the agreement and blatantly violated it.

Students who enrolled at the flying school have lodged a complaint with the FCID that they were not given pilot training as stipulated in the agreement, despite charging an exorbitant fee of Rs.1.3 million from a single student.

Though they are supposed to complete 45 flying hours, they were given a mere three -hour flying training. Students who could not complete their pilot training course were demanding that their monies be returned. urging the authorities to get back the fees they paid to the Company.

It has been reported that Sajin de Vaas used his authority and power to stop these students from demanding the fee they paid to be trained as pilots.

It is baffling as to how Sajin de Vaas who was only a wharf clerk at TRICO International in Dubai prior to joining former President Mahinda Rajapaksa when he was Opposition leader, earned these assets.

How he purchased aircraft for the Aviation company in addition to other assets are now under probe by Bribery sleuths after acting on a complaint lodged by Voice Against Corruption Organisation with the Bribery Commission and a lawsuit has been filed at the Colombo Magistrate’s Courts against him by the Bribery Commission.

At the same time sources close to Sajin de Vass revealed to the Sunday Observer about a number of other properties and assets which he has purchased during the past few years, using the money which virtually ‘flowed’ into his coffers.

According to these sources, he has purchased three houses in Amabalangoda the constituency he represents as he was nominated to contest the election in 2010 under the UPFA banner.

He has purchased the house adjoining the Sumana hospital, Amabalangoda prior to the 2010 election and in 2014 he has bought another house adjoining the Ambalangoda residence. Two weeks before the Presidential election in 2015, he has purchased a third house adjoining to the house he purchased in 2010.

According to these sources a hotel adjoining the Kosgoda Cocoon Beach hotel and the land opposite Cocoon Beach Hotel were purchased by Sajin de Vass in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Mangroves destroyed

A nine acre land with mangroves adjoining to the river in Kosgoda has also been purchased by him in 2013 and the mangroves on this land have been destroyed.

None of these properties have been purchased in his name.

They are purchased in various names of friends and relations and in the name of the company.

These sources confirmed that he has continued to add properties worth Rs.200 million to Rs.400 million every two or three months.

A palatial house has been bought within Kandy city limits in 2014.

A 40 roomed luxury hotel in Pasikuda owned by him was sold two months before the Presidential election to raise funds for the election campaign.

The latest addition to his assets is a 40 perch land he had purchased at Shady Grove Avenue, Colombo 8, spending Rs.200 million and Rs.210 million has been spent to construct the four- storied luxury house in the plot of land by an architect attached to the Presidential Secretariat.

The basement can accommodate 10 vehicles, store facilities, kitchen with all facilities and an air conditioned room to accommodate 30 security personnel. It also consists of a generator worth Rs.8 million, to provide electricity during a power failure, these sources added.

Super luxury rooms

The second floor has a swimming pool, a living room and a dining room. The other two floors consist of five super luxury rooms, a mini theatre and two office rooms.

It has also been revealed the Sajin De vaaas paid a Kenyan national a salary of Rs 200,000per month as a barman.

These sources also revealed how he used a large number of vehicles from the presidential secretariat at his Amabalangoda residence for his personnel use and also to appease his political supporters.

He had given some of these vehicles to members of the Hikkaduwa Pradeshiya Saba and Balapitiya Pradeshiya Saba who were his supporters.

Another double cab has been issued to a bhikku in Amabalangoda who is supposed to have links with the underworld in Amabalangoda.

Two double cabs were used in his Ambalangoda residence. The former president had gifted an elephant calf to one of his sons on his birthday and he used a double cab to transport the animal to and fro. Some of the drivers were attached to the Presidential Secretariat. His wife Tiana also had been provided with a Defender jeep for her security, is the owner of the super luxury Gym at the Race Course, Colombo which charges Rs.10,000 as monthly fee from a member.

It is reported that these were just a handful of assets he is enjoying locally and there may be hundreds or thousands of other assets purchased by him which have still not come out in the open.

These are assets he earned after he became a MP in 2010.

This is a clear case of abuse of power and misappropriation of the highest order which should be looked into by the authorities and the culprit brought to book.