Pugoda Magistrate D. A. Ruwanpathirana today ordered authorities to auction the luxury villa and the 16 acre land in Malwana, which is allegedly owned by former Minister Basil Rajapaksa.
Basil
Delivering the verdict, the Magistrate ordered the house estimated to have been built at a cost of Rs. 240 million on a 16 acre land in Malwana in Gangabada Road, Malwana be auctioned. The Magistrate delivered the verdict following a case filed by the FCID.
Rajapaksa was also arrested in June in connection to the land, which is valued at Rs. 60 million.
Last week, Rajapaksa denied any ownership of the villa. Rajapaksa’s lawyer, President’s Counsel Jayantha Weerasinghe informed the Pugoda Magistrate last Friday that his client had absolutely no ownership over the house.
In September, the Colombo Telegraph reported how a very close associate of Rajapaksa betrayed him by dragging him in to yet another money laundering scandal. In a letter addressed to the Commissioner of Inland Revenue, Muditha Jayakody claimed that a large sum of money amounting to millions which was in his bank accounts was not his money and it belonged to someone else.
“That money is not earned by me, nor did it belong to me or my company. It belonged to another person, and based on his instructions, I purchased a land to build a house at 111/3, Mahawatta, Gangabada Road, Mapitigama, Malwana,” he said in the letter.
Jayakody went onto say in his letter that the money was given to him by another person who requested him to handle all the payments in relation to the construction of the house in Malwana.
In June, the Colombo Telegraph reported that the Government had decided to confiscate several houses and an office belonging to former minister Basil Rajapaksa.
Note: This story has been updated to correct the figure to Rs. 240 million, the earlier version incorrectly stated the value as Rs. 125 million.
thrishu / October 14, 2016
But when is he going to be jailed for fraudulent activities. Selling and crediting the money to the Treasury canot be the end of the case, because there is an issue of misappropriation of public assets and handling of stolen property with intent. Pol;iticos are setting bad examples by instructing the courts to suppress the more serious criminal offences, and so setting a bad example to the rest of the country.
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paddy / October 14, 2016
So that’s it???
Are they not even going to question Muditha Jayakody further and ask him from where the money came into his account?
So does this mean that anyone who has excess money in their accounts which they cannot explain away, can just say it’s not mine but somebody else has put it into my account?
Donkeys !!!
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shankar / October 14, 2016
paddy
probably he cut a deal to save his arse.interesting to see who is going to buy this house for a song now.probably another front man.
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Dinuk / October 14, 2016
This disgraceful bugger, Basil, who stole even from funds set aside to help poor people – DIvineguma – should be in Jail with double time.
Why is he still out while his illegally acquired property is being sold. WHy is the FCID so useless and inefficient, unable to get a conviction against even stinking Basil when there is a mountain of evidence against him?!
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Leelagemalli / October 14, 2016
Second multi million worth assets is reported to have lost by the high criminal to the knowledge of public sofar. But how many hidden high money grabs should be there ? What have the rulers been doing letting this ballige putha in scot free even today – with almost 22 months gones since the old govt is defeated.
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Samuel Jayaweera / October 14, 2016
I am fed up being unable to see any radical punishments are imposed against the kind of multi million or billion criminals.
Now they have been making every effort to hide behind the bond scam related allegations being reported these days, FOr me, we want both kind of crimes be investigated sooner than later.
We cant wait anymore. ENOUGH IS ENOUGH.
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Punchiburampi / October 14, 2016
Thrisu, this man is so thick skinned person, se how he pays smiles to the camera these days, as if nothing was wrong even if anything would have been done wrong with the deal and other deals that was lately reported to have confiscated.
May be even if the RFI bill is passed, nothing like close related information is set to air as yet. Why the rulers want to see us furtherin dark is my question. Some steps have been taken up but not at all to be called tangible steps…
I CANT TOLERATE THESE MEN HAVE BEEN ALLOWED TO BE IN THE MIDDLE MEN OF THE FOCUS even today. Basta.
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Leelawathie / October 14, 2016
I would like to know how the legal system run in this country
a) Today press it is reported the land alleged to have been an asset of most abusive Basil Rajkahase is no longer of his ownnership……
b) Very same press doest not reveal, if not under Basil s name, whose name was found on the land related documents
c) HC has now decided to auction the land – but not telling a word – against the former owner….
was he Basil or his brother in law Nadeshan or any one else ?
As I know it, for any property related documents, there are names of current owners clearly written…
d) THESE ARE NO CLEAR TO ANYONE BUT TO CURRENT GOVERNMENT AND RAJAKAHSE MEN.
please help us getting the truth about this deal.
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Seelawathie Jayasinghe / October 14, 2016
Not just Rajapakshes, but anyone alleged to any crime, would have first been arrested, then through lawyers or deal makers, they would succeed fooling… the parties that they never commited by them, or the properties were no in their own… what could happen… any high criminal can escape from being convicted. This is simple to even my 10 year old grand son, but not to vote eligible punnakku eaters of this country yet.
These men even current men have become deal makers of the former regime, to protect their party …. what is being talked and done are no longer the facts.
Media men are the most abusive men that work for Rajakashe clan and their proection:
All in all, there is no justice seen yet exept that Duminda most abusive man of Rajakashe clan had been convicted criminal… however, that too, Duminda silva is being given all special treatments to this date… keeping him in on special wards…
Convicted criminal is convicted criminals regardless of his family wealth. When that would be noticed by President/PM/Low and order systems of this country is beyond all hopes to this date.
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Ansar / October 14, 2016
Sirisena, Protect this rogue also and make a public proclamation that FCID is on a political witch hunt.
From where the he’ll did this rogue find so much wealth, it is our bloody tax money or plundered by way of commission.
The rogue is off the hook and only the Villa is confiscated. You must be a happy man. Have a party.
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John / October 14, 2016
The first time this Govt of Good Governance has demonstrated it means to keep its promises, and could not have been better timed. The PC and others who were part of the scam should also be dealt with legally. The culture of ‘….someone gave it to me or bag of gems etc should be renounced. More cases can now be dealt with despite known rogues getting on stage to mock the present Govt and President. We are now on the first step to deal with rampant corruption and impunity. The World is watching SL specially after ‘that’ speech.
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Nallasamy - Talawakella / October 15, 2016
Billions swindled by this Rajapakse swine but still these Sinhalese wanted these ParaRajapakse’s to come to power all are poor People’s money.
Where is Justice?
where is Law?
Billions worth Mansion but no owner, strange Sri Lankan Law. If owned by a Tamil he will be branded as a Tiger and put in Jail for life.
Jayamalini a resident of Vauniya gave food parcel for a wounded Tiger cadre after the war and she was put in jail with her 12 year old daughter. Basil a free man after swindling billions.
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Kitsiri / October 16, 2016
Hey cool down mate. Have seen a copy the the title deed of the property??? Jayantha Weerasinghe informed the Pugoda Magistrate last Friday that his client had absolutely no ownership over the house.
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MrRetort / October 14, 2016
His sweat and hard work in Gampaha District down the drain. How many more houses here and overseas, specially in US?
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Douglas / October 14, 2016
So now the case filed against Mr. Basil Rajapakse is over. When the Courts accept the plea of Mr. Basil, that the land does not belong to him and decided to auction it, what more? FCID: Did you not find this out before you filed this case? Tell us, what you are going to do? Are you going to “withdraw” or “proceed” any further? No wonder the President is getting frustrated and agitated. More than him, that 6.2 millions who voted for him are already frustrated and disgusted in the way you are proceeding with these cases.
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Sylvia Haik / October 17, 2016
It is absolutely ridiculous that the FCID is not able to discover who owns a piece of property. We have a Land Registry and don’t they record the land and property ownership details? If this lackluster behavior of our Land Registry is prevalent, we must be a haven for fraudulent transfers, and innocent buyers caught out losing Rs.Millions in the process.
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Estate Labourer / October 14, 2016
The FCID is absolutely determined not to get to the bottom of this case. So it just scratches the surface like a hen looking for insects and worms and without bothering to dig deep.
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banana republic / October 14, 2016
So Basil is not a crook. He doesn’t own any property as suggested by his critics. How did this arrangement came about. If any of the Rajapakse’s wealth amassed by plundering the national assets is discovered they only have to say that it is not theirs and they will be whitewashed.
This not why we voted for a change. We did not vote for any individuals to get into power and look after the crooks so that they too can continue the same acts.
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Shrikharan / October 14, 2016
banana republic
“We did not vote for any individuals to get into power and look after the crooks so that they too can continue the same acts.”
My3 he backs stabbed his boss Rajapakse and he backstabbed all the people who voted him to power. His days are numbered and Rajapakse or one of them will surely come back to power. My3 will apologize to Rajapakse for the dirty thing he did to him and will promise to support Rajapakse. He had let down all those who voted him to become President which he would never have dreamt to become.
My3 is a real clown and a shame and a bad example of a President.
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Shamil / October 14, 2016
Politics is polite and simple but this kind of thives and rapist made it very much complicated.
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jehan / October 14, 2016
Sri Lanken justice- lowest common denominator.
Anyway:
1.Find the loot , collect the loot
AND ALL THE LOOT
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Renu / October 15, 2016
Thisis nothing for you and Pushpa you have stacked away enough for your family by robbing public money
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Ratnasiri Peiris / October 16, 2016
Luxury Villa in Malvana
I did some quick research on the above subject since neither media (including Colombo Telegraph) nor FCID/CID was able to provide an update on this matter.
1. Basil Rajapakse’s name was never on the deed. Crown prosecutors found no connection between this property and Basil Rajapakse.
2. Then, the million $ question is: who bought and who owns the property? According to documentary evidence, it was Mr. Muditha Jayakody who purchased it. He is also the owner of a construction company called Muditha Associates. His plan was to build a luxury hotel/villa on a new concept on this property.
3. Since Basil Rajapakse was the Minister of Economic Development, and a powerful MP from Gampaha district, Muditha Jayakody thought Basil’s participation in some form would be an asset and planned to bring him to the project by:
a) Inviting him to lay the foundation stone and then
b) Offering him some ‘shares’ of the project.
When he failed to do either one, he approached the wife of Basil Rajapakse and she (Pushpa Rajapakse) accepted the invitation only to lay the foundation stone. (This is the only ‘indirect’ connection between a Rajapaksa and this property)!
Muditha Jayakody wanted extra Rs 34 million to complete the deal and he failed to get any of the Rajapakses financially on board for the project. According to documents, Mr. Jayakody had only Rs. 30 million; Failing to involve Basil Rajapakse to be a partner/shareholder he approached a friendly and wealthy Tamil businessman (Mr. Thiru Nadesan) who happened to be Nirupama Rajapakse’s husband. Being a businessman Nadeshan put forward a tough condition just like a mortgage Bank for the loan of Rs 34 million; he said his name should appear as the owner of the property whereas Muditha Jayakody’s name should appear as the secondary owner? until the loan (Rs 34 million) is re-paid to Nadeshan with interest. This was agreed and the project was started. All this happened prior to 2010.
Then came the Presidential election in 2014, that sent the Rajapakses home. As we know, Basil being the Economic Development minister faced a lot of allegations since then; the Yahapalana government alleged that he had swindled money from various projects and many, right or wrong, believed it. And the Malvana villa was in the forefront of these allegations and FCID/CID started a full investigation. Basil denied any ownership to the property from the very beginning and crown prosecutors failed to prove otherwise. Hence the judge decision to auction the property now.
Let’s see what happened after Presidential election 2014. (This is what I found on few Websites and Colombo Telegraph readers could enlighten our readership if they have found any more credible information: no concocted stories please).
1. Muditha Jayakody paid back his loan to Nadeshan (Rs 34 million + 6 million as interest) and Muditha Jayakody became the sole owner of the property still being under construction.
2. Muditha Jayakody had some financial problems due to lack of work after Yahapalanaya came to power (possible and true) and his company failed to pay some contractors for their work; one of them was Mr. Ramawickrema who filed a case against his company (Muditha Associates).
3. The case was sent to Solicitor General’s Department for legal advice and the FCID/CID finds a ‘logical’ connection between this case and the Rajapakse file.
4. At the beginning as per Rupavahini news telecast, Muditha Jayakody says the property is his. After a year and half, he changes his mind and says it was not his but Basil Rajapaksa’s.
Apparently during this period, Mr. Mervyn Silva enters the scene; he is the one who files the case about the Malvana property to FCID:
1. Some say, Muditha Jayakody changed his story in order to find out an escape route for another legal issue that he had to face when he registered his company Muditha Associates as a contractor with the government. He had given some ‘false’ information about his work force (the number of employees) and he was now in hot waters. When somebody is in trouble our natural instincts come forward and we, Sri Lankans tell the victim that we are prepared to help: if ‘you promise to do this or that’. Otherwise, there is no reason for him to change his story of ownership when his name appears clearly on the deed as the owner.
2. Apparently, Mervyn Silva had a grudge over a land at Barnes Place with Nadeshan a few years back; we know that he had serious problems with Basil and Gota as well. By this time, Ramawickrema had contacted Mervyn Silva to find out a way to get his contract money from Muditha Jayakody (by hook or by crook), Mervyn Silva on the advice of some political high-hand concocted a plan to involve both Basil (and Nadeshan) to the Malvana property; (two birds with one stone!).
5. As a result, Muditha Jayakody now says that the Malvana property belongs to Basil Rajapaksa and all of us now allege that it is true.
May I request CT readers to do more research and find out the truth?
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Ratnasiri Peiris / October 16, 2016
Luxury Villa in Malvana
I did some quick research on the above subject since neither media (including Colombo Telegraph) nor FCID/CID was able to provide an update on this matter.
1. Basil Rajapakse’s name was never on the deed. Crown prosecutors found no connection between this property and Basil Rajapakse.
2. Then, the million $ question is: who bought and who owns the property? According to documentary evidence, it was Mr. Muditha Jayakody who purchased it. He is also the owner of a construction company called Muditha Associates. His plan was to build a luxury hotel/villa on a new concept on this property.
3. Since Basil Rajapakse was the Minister of Economic Development, and a powerful MP from Gampaha district, Muditha Jayakody thought Basil’s participation in some form would be an asset and planned to bring him to the project by:
a) Inviting him to lay the foundation stone and then
b) Offering him some ‘shares’ of the project.
When he failed to do either one, he approached the wife of Basil Rajapakse and she (Pushpa Rajapakse) accepted the invitation only to lay the foundation stone. (This is the only ‘indirect’ connection between a Rajapaksa and this property)!
Muditha Jayakody wanted extra Rs 34 million to complete the deal and he failed to get any of the Rajapakses financially on board for the project. According to documents, Mr. Jayakody had only Rs. 30 million; Failing to involve Basil Rajapakse to be a partner/shareholder he approached a friendly and wealthy Tamil businessman (Mr. Thiru Nadesan) who happened to be Nirupama Rajapakse’s husband. Being a businessman Nadeshan put forward a tough condition just like a mortgage Bank for the loan of Rs 34 million; he said his name should appear as the owner of the property whereas Muditha Jayakody’s name should appear as the secondary owner? until the loan (Rs 34 million) is re-paid to Nadeshan with interest. This was agreed and the project was started. All this happened prior to 2010.
Then came the Presidential election in 2014, that sent the Rajapakses home. As we know, Basil being the Economic Development minister faced a lot of allegations since then; the Yahapalana government alleged that he had swindled money from various projects and many, right or wrong, believed it. And the Malvana villa was in the forefront of these allegations and FCID/CID started a full investigation. Basil denied any ownership to the property from the very beginning and crown prosecutors failed to prove otherwise. Hence the judge decision to auction the property now.
Let’s see what happened after Presidential election 2014. (This is what I found on few Websites and Colombo Telegraph readers could enlighten our readership if they have found any more credible information: no concocted stories please).
1. Muditha Jayakody paid back his loan to Nadeshan (Rs 34 million + 6 million as interest) and Muditha Jayakody became the sole owner of the property still being under construction.
2. Muditha Jayakody had some financial problems due to lack of work after Yahapalanaya came to power (possible and true) and his company failed to pay some contractors for their work; one of them was Mr. Ramawickrema who filed a case against his company (Muditha Associates).
3. The case was sent to Solicitor General’s Department for legal advice and the FCID/CID finds a ‘logical’ connection between this case and the Rajapakse file.
4. At the beginning as per Rupavahini news telecast, Muditha Jayakody says the property is his. After a year and half, he changes his mind and says it was not his but Basil Rajapaksa’s.
Apparently during this period, Mr. Mervyn Silva enters the scene; he is the one who files the case about the Malvana property to FCID:
1. Some say, Muditha Jayakody changed his story in order to find out an escape route for another legal issue that he had to face when he registered his company Muditha Associates as a contractor with the government. He had given some ‘false’ information about his work force (the number of employees) and he was now in hot waters. When somebody is in trouble our natural instincts come forward and we, Sri Lankans tell the victim that we are prepared to help: if ‘you promise to do this or that’. Otherwise, there is no reason for him to change his story of ownership when his name appears clearly on the deed as the owner.
2. Apparently, Mervyn Silva had a grudge over a land at Barnes Place with Nadeshan a few years back; we know that he had serious problems with Basil and Gota as well. By this time, Ramawickrema had contacted Mervyn Silva to find out a way to get his contract money from Muditha Jayakody (by hook or by crook), Mervyn Silva on the advice of some political high-hand concocted a plan to involve both Basil (and Nadeshan) to the Malvana property; (two birds with one stone!).
5. As a result, Muditha Jayakody now says that the Malvana property belongs to Basil Rajapaksa and all of us now allege that it is true.
May I request CT readers to do more research and find out the truth? Thank you!
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nishan / October 16, 2016
Thank you, Ratnasiri! As discussed, when aiya is back in power I will appoint you as Chairman of a government institution.
best regards,
your friend,
Basil.
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maylor / October 16, 2016
President Sirisena, wake up and act like a president. You Pambaya have not achieved anything but protecting the Rajapakses and building you own public robberies. If Rajapakses come back to power, they will kill you in no time and be sure of that. People elected you to clean up the Rajapakses’ public robberies and bring back law and order to the Country. You are covering all Rajapakses and also their Finance minister who is a well known crook and you are keeping him as the finance minister – Q is why? Because are playing in their robbery game to become ultra rich. All Rakjapakses are free and globe trotting to transfer and hide public money and you have not done anything get them back and jail these scroungers! Even that magistrate should have ask to investigate how the 230 million came into being and there is no intelligent investigation to the full. Is FCID corrupt in Rajapakses’ pockets or totally incompetent or both??
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confu tao / October 16, 2016
Confiscating the property is not good enough. We want to see legal action taken against this corrupt crook Basil for embezzlement of public funds. MS appears to have been eating hoppers with his criminal brother MARA recently, but the public will not allow these crooks to get away with the crimes of the past. Both Muditha and Basil must get a long jail sentence for misappropriation of citizens funds. Colossal amounts have been stolen by these scumbags and accountability must be established in line with the law. Unbounded greed and craving for stolen monies is a disease that has afflicted this pimp and the only solution is a long term jail sentence.
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jim softy / October 16, 2016
There was another story which said, that One chinese company gave money to uild SLFP Head quaterters in Gampaha.
but, Basil Rajapakse spend most of that money for his personal use.
Another story is, they all allowed Drug containers from Pakisthan to be brought in.
I thibk even the govt give half of the stiry out. Most commenting here are Rajapakse protectros.
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