-By A Staff Writer
(Lanka-e-News -13.March.2025, 11.20 PM) In a twist of political theater worthy of a summer blockbuster, Niraj Deva, former MEP (Member of European Parliament) and ex-Presidential Advisor to the entire continent of Europe (or so he claims), has found himself at the heart of an international mystery. After his time on the Al Jazeera Head-to-Head program, where he masterfully navigated complex political waters, Deva embarked on a sun-soaked cruise holiday in Greece. While it’s unclear whether the Mediterranean sun burned him or simply brought clarity to his post-television existential crisis, one thing is for certain—he’s now in the middle of a storm of his own making.
The current scandal? The man was spotted driving around Colombo in a vehicle adorned with the EU flag. Yes, you read that correctly—Niraj Deva, who has no official ties to the European Union, seems to be proudly displaying the EU emblem on his car. This has raised more than a few eyebrows among EU diplomats, who are, understandably, scratching their heads. Why is a former MEP, with no current diplomatic status, suddenly cruising through Sri Lanka in a car that looks like it belongs to a diplomat? The plot thickens.
But that's just the tip of the iceberg. As if driving a flag-emblazoned vehicle wasn’t enough to spark an investigation, Deva’s past role as a Presidential Advisor to Sri Lanka’s former president, Ranil Wickremesinghe, is now under scrutiny. Word on the street (and in the halls of power) is that the payment for his services—unsurprisingly—might not have been declared to the UK tax authorities. Worse still, there are whispers about his time on various Sri Lankan boards, including SriLankan Airlines, and whether his income from those roles was properly reported to the tax authorities in the UK. If not, it could open up a Pandora’s box of financial investigations.
The key question is this: if Niraj Deva is indeed caught up in questionable financial dealings, will the Sri Lankan government take action to stop him from driving around Colombo in his EU-flagged vehicle? After all, he’s no longer a European politician and certainly isn't an EU diplomat, so what's the deal with the flag? Is it just a nostalgic token of his former glory days, or does it have deeper, murkier implications? The Sri Lankan foreign ministry will surely need to investigate. And perhaps, just maybe, the EU diplomats in Colombo should issue a formal complaint.
As for Deva, we’ve heard he had a marvelous time basking in the sun on his Greek holiday—although whether that sunburn was self-inflicted or taxpayer-funded remains a mystery. One thing's for sure: he’s probably enjoying a good laugh at the aftermath of his Head-to-Head appearance with Ranil in London. Perhaps the only thing more confusing than the EU-flagged vehicle is the political circus he’s left behind.
While we wait for the results of the investigations (if they even come), we can only wonder: is this a case of political hubris, or has Deva just become an unintended symbol of the absurdity of post-political life? Either way, it’s shaping up to be a story that will leave us all guessing—sunburned or not.
-By A Staff Writer
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by (2025-03-13 18:57:26)
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