-Written by Shantha Jayaratne
(Lanka-e-News -19.Sep.2024, 11.40 pm) Just like us who live in Sri Lanka, Sri Lankans abroad are also keenly watching what the first-term agenda of the new president, who will be elected on September 21, will be.
The main demand of the April 2022 struggle was for a “System Change.” The protesters called for the recovery of assets stolen from the people and the prosecution of wrongdoers. This article provides a nudge in that direction.
The two right-hand men of Mahinda Rajapaksa were Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Rohitha Abeygunawardena (commonly referred to as “Raththarang”). Both of them started their lives with difficulty and have now become notorious politicians and billionaires. With the realization that the Rajapaksa dynasty will lose power in the upcoming presidential election, these two have joined forces to strengthen Ranil Wickremesinghe’s hand this time. This reflects the nature of the corrupt political culture in Sri Lanka. Changing this and establishing a clean political culture is the main responsibility of the new president.
However, if Ranil loses this time, do not be surprised if Mahindananda’s group, including others, returns to the Rajapaksas during the upcoming parliamentary election with the slogan, “We are back home.” Their sense of shame has long vanished.
In 1987, Mahindananda was an insurance officer with a salary of Rs. 1,200. However, over time, he became a billionaire. His wealth and properties were revealed during a divorce case filed by his first wife in 2013. To settle the divorce, she demanded Rs. 500 million as alimony and Rs. 5 million monthly. Mahindananda agreed and divorced his first wife, after which he married the ex-wife of former minister Duminda Dissanayake (the daughter of Dumu Jayaratne). She is reportedly living in England now. Today, both Mahindananda and Duminda Dissanayake are on Ranil Wickremesinghe’s stage.
After entering politics from the insurance industry, Mahindananda became the Minister of Health in the Central Provincial Council in 1995 and later entered Parliament in 2000. It was after this that he became wealthy. Under the Money Laundering Act, when investigators presented a ‘B’ report (case number B22467/01/2015) to the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, many details were revealed. Investigators discovered that Mahindananda owns a vast amount of land.
He bought the property at 70/3/1, Kynsey Road, Colombo 7, for Rs. 27 million and constructed a house there valued at Rs. 42 million. He also owns a 20-perch plot of land at Kuruppu Road, Borella, with his wife, valued at Rs. 15 million when purchased, though it was recorded as Rs. 10 million on the deeds. Additionally, Mahindananda and his wife own three more plots of land at George E. de Silva Mawatha in Kandy, ranging from 3.5 to 18.3 perches.
He has two more properties in his wife’s and son’s names at Chandra Wettasinghe Mawatha, Koswatta, Nawala, valued at Rs. 27 million and Rs. 16 million, though the deeds undervalue them at Rs. 11 million and Rs. 8 million, respectively. Furthermore, his wife owns an apartment (no. 153, 9/2) at Trillium Residencies in Borella, bought for Rs. 28.5 million. Investigators also found that his siblings, who live in Japan, also own houses. There are suspicious details regarding the sale of duty-free vehicle permits and the transfer of funds to a Singaporean bank for the education of his children, which are still under investigation.
Mahindananda also owns a house in London, named Flat 4, as well as another property at SE-26-26G in London. One of these properties is valued at over £300,000 (Rs. 60 million), though these properties have yet to be fully appraised. It is suspected that money for these purchases was funneled through his siblings who live in Japan.
Investigations have revealed that Mahindananda owns 174 acres of land and a tea factory. While he claims these properties were inherited from his parents, investigators have not thoroughly examined this claim. In court, he stated that he inherited 97 acres in Ratnapura from his mother and 44 acres in Nawalapitiya, including a tea factory, from his father. Were his parents really this wealthy?
What does all this reveal? Isn’t it clear that Sri Lanka is drowning in a corrupt political culture? The same Wickremesinghes, Premadasas, and Rajapaksas who protect these crooks are all thieves. They all need to be brought before the law. Thousands of citizens expect the new president to clean up this filth and build a corruption-free, well-governed country. They dream of realizing the vision we have had for centuries. We have no doubt that he will fulfill it.
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by (2024-09-19 21:51:43)
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