Yoshitha Rajapaksa remanded over money laundering allegation
Posted on January 30th, 2016

Courtesy The Island

Former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second son was remanded in custody for two weeks after he was arrested and questioned yesterday under the Money Laundering Act, police and court officials said.

Navy officer Yoshitha Rajapaksa, 27, was questioned at length at the navy headquarters in Colombo and then arrested and taken before Kaduwela magistrate Dhammika Hemapala who ordered his remand till February 11.

The police Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) had questioned four others, including Nishantha Ranatunga, who had been the chief executive officer of Yoshitha’s Carlton Sports Network (CSN), police said.

Former president Rajapaksa who was in court told reporters after his son was taken away in a prison bus that the arrest was to seek revenge from him.

“I don’t mind this if my son has done anything wrong, but I know he is innocent,” president Rajapaksa told reporters at the court house. “They are trying to take revenge from me.”

Rajapaksa’s media secretary, Rohan Welivita was also among those arrested and remanded yesterday. Before taking up the job as spokesman for Rajapaksa, he had been a director of CSN. The other two men who were remanded were: Savithra Dissanayake and Ashan Fernando.

Police had stepped up security at the court house with Special Task Force commandos as well as reinforcements from nearby police stations.

The arrests followed months of investigations into the CSN station which is accused of illegally using government equipment and vehicles for its daily operations and failing to pay billions of rupees in taxes.

Yoshitha  becomes the closest family member of the former leader to be arrested. In April, the FCID arrested Rajapaksa’s younger brother Basil who had been Economic Development minister under his brother. Another brother Gotabhaya, a former defence secretary is fighting in court to prevent his arrest.

Rajapaksa and his relatives controlled nearly 70 percent of Sri Lanka’s national budget during the former president’s rule that ended in January last year when he was defeated at elections by his former ally Maithripala Sirisena.

The new president has vowed to investigate allegations against members of Rajapaksa family who face allegations of siphoning off billions of dollars from the country during his nearly 10-year rule.

11 Responses to “Yoshitha Rajapaksa remanded over money laundering allegation”

  1. Cerberus Says:

    How about investigating the massive Central Bank bond scam last year. When the Parliament brought a no-confidence motion against the Prime Minister along with the COPE report which found Arjun Mahendran guilty of insider trading involving a massive Rs 5000 million scam, Ranil quickly dissolved the Parliament and called for elections. Later when the President requested Ranil to remove Arjun, he just ignored the President. President just meekly remained quiet. In case everyone has forgotten the story here is the link.

    http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/41859

  2. Sirih Says:

    I hope proper authorities throw the book at this crook and his elder brother.
    Removing $US 2 million worth of stadium lights from a colombo stadium and use for Kandy car racing and then sold these lights in Kandy should be probed and it was Namal the goon that got colombo curator at 2 am under threat to remove those lights.
    Those 2 sons and Basil should be in jail and hope country should come to its senses re. what is good and bad..

  3. mario_perera Says:

    The greatest gift that any government can bestow on our country is TO IMPOSE THE RULE OF LAW.

    The rule of LAW or justice meted out to all whatever be their name and fame is justly represented as a blindfolded woman holding a balance in her hand.

    Without this unparalleled gift of the RULE OF LAW all other gifts call them megapolis of whatever are nothing but Trojan horses who bellies conceal traitors and suckers.

    Mario Perera
    Kadawata

  4. Dham Says:

    Law needs “evidence”.
    What more evidence you need when the President’s office is used as the office of a private company ?
    Should the President be responsible or a Director of the company ? Why arrest the Director, a relatively little man ? Where is the rule of law ?

  5. Fran Diaz Says:

    There are all sorts of stories thrown out about the Rajapakse children. The present trend has to stop if the country is to move forward. Those at the top have negative motives for persecuting the Rajapakse children – the prominent motives being REVENGE & ENVY.

    Most of these stories are thrown out of negative motives such as revenge, envy, jealousy, political frustrations, political competitiveness, etc.

    The Rajapakse children are loyal to the country. That is a REAL PLUS.

    They are normal children who participate in social life and business life. Lay off MR & his family !

  6. Fran Diaz Says:

    Persecuting MR & the Rajapakse Family is to cause DISTRACTIONS.

    The real problem is Tamil Separatism.

    For a Permanent Peace, remove the Tamil Language (N&O).

  7. douglas Says:

    The “Greatest Gift” to the country is to maintain Law and Order. Agreed; but it must be the RESPONSIBILITY of all the PEOPLE, meaning the Authorities who maintain it and the subjected parties. In this particular case the charges to be framed are under “Money Laundering” relating to a company administered by the people who have been taken into custody. As per the official sources, those who were involved were asked to provide evidence of Rs. 234 million that was invested in the company. So it is “simple” as that. If that “source of funds” and “how those funds were brought in” (i.e. was is it through local or foreign) could be provided when the case comes up in courts, why worry? The Law Enforcement has a duty to ask the “question” and the subjected parties have a duty to provide “answers”. Then the Law and Order will be maintained and that GIFT will be gifted to the Country. Let us be “Responsible” and “Accountable”.

  8. Lorenzo Says:

    Sirih,

    IF TRUE all 3 should be in JAIL. I AGREE.

    But they should be given a hearing.

    Yoshitha is SHIRANTHI’s favorite son. That is why they are going after him to HURT her maximum and use it to pressure MR. There are crooks in this govt. too. Hopefully they too will be jailed.

    Anyway REVENGE must be matched by REVENGE.

  9. Sirih Says:

    Since when, theft of valuable SL resources should be ok?
    What ever colombo people think, our country is still poor and there are still 40%-50% living below poverty line. People should go to outer area to see how poor these people are… I saw young kids in Trincomalee, 30 deg heat going to school with out any shoes or slippers when so call political mafia plundering everything that they can get their hands on. This cannot be tolerated at any cost.

    We funded JHU and created it to put MR under proper path and later we use it to pressure MR and guide him to proper Buddhist way. If people know what this family plundered no one will touch him ever again.
    Yes, we are grateful for MR and his work re. removing racist ltte and do we condone his wholesale plunder of the country and worst of all creating new term for the rule of law for his cronies?
    Only guy I respect is GR since he is always asking help to betterment for the country only issue is he is not a diplomat but I hope time will get that sorted.
    MR’s wife , kids and Basil started this plunder and Petroleum ministry lost billions on hedging under Mrs MR cousin that went to sleep with the bankers and country got raped.
    Air Lanka is full of thieves and once I was in Colombo to help the govt. on my own expense and on leaving , I was asked to pay for Rs. 18,000 for extra luggage. Worst part was I was with Business class ticket and also life time Gold member of Qantas that allow me roughly 50kg baggage and I only had 40Kg. When I query this I was told that I am a silver member on One world(not true) and I have to call HK one world and get this sorted. They deliberately downgrade your FF status to get money out of your baggage. This is theft and do you thing foreigners coming to our country will take this crap?

    We know how CSN started and registered and where the money came from and this money should have gone to the cricket and not to this crooks pockets. Have you seen Ranatunga’s house? This guy does not even have o levels and he is the bag man for 2 kids corrupt activities.

  10. Lorenzo Says:

    Sirih,

    You are a patriot and involved in good work in defence. So I trust you.

    The hedge story is true.

    I have to AGREE the ONLY useful Rajapaksha is GR. Sad but true. I NEVER liked SR, NR, YR and RR. Since family comes first for MR, he will take their side.

    BR stuffed everything up.

    CR and his son are now with My3 to save his work in UVA.

    They have all forgotten they became somebodies THANKS TO GR.

  11. Dham Says:

    Sirih,
    Theft of SL resourece are incomparable to the value of this Special Single Person to lot of people, some due to personal attachment , foolishness or racial pride.
    True, MR gave that leadership to erradicate LTTE terror ( whether JHP pushed him or not) and Sri Lankans shall forever be greatful to him. But he did not go to front line nor his son ever risked his life he was only playing rugger for the country. We should be 1000 times more greatful to the soldiers than to him.
    However, this is not a revenge but application of law to stop theft of country resources. Only problem is why they apply the law to this kid whilst the big Sharks (including Mahendran ) are free. Surely this money is not his but probably belongs to his uncles or father. They should come forward and admit theft and set him free rathe than shredding croc tears and taking advantage of it for future political gains.

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