-A report by the special correspondent of LeN, Suhurupaya
(Lanka-e-News -30.Sep.2024, 10.30 pm) Following the Supreme Court’s order to imprison Harsha Ilukpitiya, the former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, for contempt of court, it has been reported that P.V. Gunathilaka, alias Viyani Gunathilaka, the former Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, is also preparing to flee the country. He suddenly submitted his retirement letter, despite being set to retire on January 25, 2026.
Viyani Gunathilaka, who joined the administrative service in 1995, applied for retirement on the 24th of the previous month when the skilled investigator Ravi Seneviratne was appointed as Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security. This retirement request was made knowing that if an investigation started, he would likely end up behind bars, losing not just his job but also his retirement benefits.
Viyani Gunathilaka is known to be another corrupt official in the administrative service. During the Maithri-Ranil government in 2015, he was working at the Ministry of Disaster Management, where serious financial irregularities occurred during an international disaster exhibition at the BMICH in 2014. However, from late 2015, Gunathilaka began to distance himself from accountability. During this time, S.B. Navinna was appointed as Minister of the newly formed Ministry of Internal Affairs, which oversaw the Department of Immigration and Emigration and the Department of Registration of Persons.
Gunathilaka, leveraging his connections with S.B. Navinna, was appointed as Deputy Controller General of Immigration and Emigration and quickly started corrupt practices. Sarath Kumara, a capable administrative officer, was then the Commissioner General of the Department of Registration of Persons. However, Navinna pressured Sarath Kumara to award tenders to his associates, which Sarath Kumara bravely resisted. As a result, Sarath Kumara was removed from his position, and Gunathilaka was appointed in his place. Gunathilaka continued to thrive in this role until 2022.
Gunathilaka, known for switching allegiances to suit the political climate, managed to maintain his position until the end of 2022. By 2023, he had become Secretary to the Ministry of Public Security, where he reshaped the ministry to suit his corrupt agenda. He also replaced competent officials like Sakunika Sumathipala, a capable Senior Assistant Secretary, with corrupt officials like Priyantha, who served in the Department of Immigration and Emigration.
It has been reported that Viyani Gunathilaka, along with Harsha Ilukpitiya, was deeply involved in corrupt practices within the Immigration and Emigration Department. When Gunathilaka became Secretary, he made sure to appoint Harsha as the head of the department, bypassing more senior officers. Meanwhile, Ilukpitiya, now imprisoned, was one of Gunathilaka’s closest associates. It is also alleged that Gunathilaka, in collaboration with his senior assistant secretary Priyantha, may have removed crucial documents related to the visa scam from the department on the 20th night.
Moreover, it’s suggested that investigations should also cover Gunathilaka’s children’s assets, as they moved to Australia in 2023. His daughter Maheshi and son Sachitha have been living there since then, enjoying luxurious lives, raising questions about how their wealth was acquired.
The report also highlights that while Harsha Ilukpitiya faces imprisonment, the real masterminds behind the VFS Visa scam are planning to flee the country, possibly first to Singapore and then to Australia. The Ministry of Public Security and key investigators must act quickly to stop their escape and bring them to justice.
The investigation needs to focus not just on Harsha Ilukpitiya but also on Viyani Gunathilaka and their network of corrupt officials.
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by (2024-09-30 16:57:32)
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