By Gandara John

By 12 January 2007 Raj Rajaratnam, a notorious criminal presently serving time for insider trading and currently under serious investigation for funding Tamil terrorism in Sri Lanka, sent a total of 3 million US dollars directly to a private current account at the Standard Chartered Bank in Colombo; the funds were to be handled according to documentary evidence on the ‘absolute and sole instructions’ of a Rogue in the UNP hierarchy.

The first tranche of the loot, one million US dollars, was received on 22 Dec 06. The monies were received at a time when the terrorists were in dire need of money to increase the numbers of their fighting cadres; the terrorists had embarked on a critical recruitment drive to match the Sri Lankan army which was furiously mobilizing the people to increase the strength of the army by an additional 100000.

It was not long, before the news of the unlawful manner of transfer to Sri Lanka of 3 million US dollars from abroad hit the fan. The issue was compounded when this sum of money was unlawfully converted from US dollars to Sri Lankan Rupees and transferred to a private call account.

The speaking defensively claimed that Rajaratnam was his friend and that Rajaratnam was a very honourable man with an impeccable reputation who had invested previously in the share market. The Rogue claimed that the money was sent to purchase shares in the Union Bank of Sri Lanka.

Said the Rogue, … you would no doubt be aware that Galleon International Master Fund SPC Ltd, USA (this is Rajaratnam’s controversial company) are well known investors in Sri Lanka and have always followed due process and have had no intention whatsoever to violate any Regulation or Act, as baselessly alleged. The said investment fund is held in very high esteem in international financial circles …”

The Rogue’s statement had serious implications: That the Rogue was aware of all of Rajaratnam’s investments in Sri Lanka: That the Rogue was aware that Rajaratnam had always followed ‘due process’ in all his investments in Sri Lanka: That the Rogue was so close to Rajaratnam that he could vouch without any reservation for Rajaratnam’s intentions. Almost as if the Rogue was the alter ego of Raj the Rogue trader (no intention whatsoever to violate any Regulation or Act, as baselessly alleged): That Rogue has an inherent problem of distinguishing between right and wrong, good men and bad (Galleon International Master Fund SPC Ltd, USA is held in very high esteem).

Indeed Rajaratnam was no stranger to Sri Lanka. In 2003 when  Ranil bartered 2/3^rd of the country’s coastline and 1/3^rd of the country to the terrorists, Rajaratnam partnering the US government provided the terrorists vital mine detection equipment. Besides, as the Rogue himself claimed Rajaratnam had previously traded in the local stock market.

Rajaratnam and the Rogue were both aware therefore that SIERRA accounts had to be statutorily opened when foreign currency was sent into the country to purchase company shares in the market

Rajaratnam if he had operated in the share market previously as claimed by the Rogue, he should already have had SIERRA accounts. This begs many questions.

How were US 3 Million dollars put directly into a current private account at Standard Chartered Bank with the connivance of the two R s? Why were US 3 million dollars put into a private account by Rajaratnam? If Rajaratnam already had SIERRA accounts (or if he were aware that only through SIERRA accounts he could operate) why were the monies not put into the SIERRA accounts if the intention were to purchase Union Bank shares? How were the US dollars unlawfully converted to Sri Lankan Rupees? Was the Standard Chartered Bank complicit in money laundering and terrorist funding?

And most importantly, why did the Rogue and Rajaratnam, who claimed they always followed due process, communicate with each other and the bank on how the account which was not by due process was to be operated?

Evidence has it … that the instructions to operate the relevant bank account would be on absolute and sole instructions from Mr. Rogue”. And that was on 19 Dec 06, before the first tranche 0f US dollars one million came in on 22 Dec 06!!

The case was bad for the Rogue; he had sufficient clout to let the case meander for nearly 5 years.

Then on 08 Jan 15, came the ‘Yahapalanaya’ government. Lo and behold ‘the Rogue’ was appointed to a top post by Wickramasinghe.

The Rogue lost no time. Within the promised 100 days of good governance the case was called up about 5 times and on the last day a judge who was due to retire anon dismissed the plaint on the grounds that it had been incorrectly filed.

The presence and interest of a politically motivated former President of the BASL in the case had undoubtedly placed a great deal of pressure on the legal process.

The plaint could have been amended within 20 odd days but it did not happen. The alternative would be to file a fresh plaint or plaints against Rogue.

Bets are that a fresh plaint will not be filed; running dog Ranil has surrendered the financial control of the country to the terrorists.

Heading the Central bank is that financial profligate with years of professional experience in money laundering; he appears to be a veteran in insider trading like his childhood friend Rajaratnam and has very close links to the terrorist networks.

The Rogue is a close associate of Rajaratnam. Rajaratnam and Rogue allegedly attempted to finance the LTTE cadre build up; during this time the Rogue made light of the ultimate sacrifices being made by the soldiers scoffing that the soldiers are not going to Alimankada but Pamankada and that Thoppigala is an insignificant rock. He has a yet – to – be filed plaint hanging over his head.

If Rajaratnam’s black money along with the money brought in by Selvaskandan of Varners were used to buy Union Bank shares one of the major beneficiaries would have been Malik Samarawickrema the intruder who was also privy to vital information at the shameful Bond scam.

Paskaralingam, brother of a top LTTE terrorist sympathiser in the UK has been brought in as a financial adviser.

These are running dog Ranil’s financial mobsters as Sri Lanka slips down the slippery slope. Today, the financial control of the country is firmly in the hands of the Tamil terrorists.