Anika Wijesuriya, this morning told the Commission to inquire into the Bond Scandal that, her super luxury apartment at the Monarch Residencies was taken on lease by Arjun Aloysius who paid for it on behalf of the then finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake.
She also said that Arjun Aloysius had called her and told her to “destroy” the lease agreement pertaining to the transaction.
Minster Foreign Affairs and Lotteries Ravi and his wife Mela – Photo via his Facebook
Giving evidence before the commission, Wijesuriya said that she owned the apartment, and had wanted to give it on rent since she does not live there. She said that she was working on the Weligama Marriot hotel built by her family and that she was based there.
When deciding to give it on rent, Karunanayake’s wife Mela had called the brother of Anika who had then put her in touch with Anika.
The wife of the minister had then arrived at the apartment to inspect the apartment with two bodyguards. Thereafter she had taken a call and told the witness that “a person known to both of us will be here”. Anika is a former student of the Colombo International School.
A shortwhile after, Arjun Aloysius had arrived at the apartment. Thereafter following discussions the witness said it was clear that Arjun was going to pay the rent for the house in which the Karunanayakes were moving into.
The apartment was identified as 5PH2.
The entire lease amounting close to 9 million was paid for by a company named Walter and Rowe which Arjun and his father Geoff are both Directors. It is a fully owned subsidiary of the holding company of Perpetual treasuries.
Anika told the commission that she had quoted a high price given the fact that the apartment was furnished and that it was ready to be occupied. She said the usual rate for rent per month for such luxurious penthouses is around 8000USD.
Anika is the daughter of Nahil Wijesuriya.
Thereafter the Karunanayakes had moved into the apartment after which the daughter of the Minister and the witness had developed a close relationship, the witness said.
Accordingly, following the end of the lease period of 6 months, which commenced in February 2016, the Karunanayakes had decided to buy the apartment. Their family company of which Mela and the daughter are Directors had paid 165 million rupees and purchased the apartment the witness said.
The witness also said that Arjun Aloysius had called her last week and insisted that she destroyed the lease agreement. She said that she had decided against it.
She also said that the current Minister of Foreign Affairs Ravi Karunanayake had called her father Nikhil last week.
The witness said that she knew that the information on the transaction had been found out by the investigators when officers of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) visited her in March this year.
The witness Anika, provided her name as Muthukudarachchige Vinodini in order to protect her identity during testimony.
Deputy Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda led the evidence.
Jagath Fernando / July 24, 2017
This is getting very interesting.
However it should be noted that this is common practice for businessmen to buy assets and to be gifted to politicians. Some media reports stated that during the previous regime assets down Gower Street was gifted to ruling politicians.
If they review EPF transactions involving share purchases and bond purchases for the last 10 years, half the businessmen in Colombo will get exposed !!!
Need to check to what extent the Police and the Attorney Generals Dept are keen to charge people and take it forward.
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billy / July 24, 2017
here we go back to MR again…lol
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Native Vedda / July 24, 2017
Silly billy
Is that why the president transferred him from Finance to External affairs in his mini reshuffle?
So Arjuna Mahendran is innocent of all deals?
Seriously Anika Wijesooriya as a good patriot didn’t want to rock the board by asking silly questions, say why Arjun Aloysius was paying the rent on behalf of the Minister who was entitle for an official residence paid for by the state.
Strange only in this island people don’t seem to be asking the right question at the right time until the authorities shake them by their shoulders?
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Wera / July 25, 2017
So finally it comes out. The leaker of inside information about the bonds was not the father-in-law aka the governor. It was Ravi K the finance minister who was the other party privy to the info. For all this time all the nasty scribes and MR’s bootlicking politicians of the JO have all being deliberately barking up the wrong tree in the hope of tarnishing the reputation of the PM who appointed the governor when the real culprit got away Scott free laughing all the way to his many foreign bank accounts. Aloysius was always Ravi K’s business partner. This is an open secret among the elite of Colombo who always knew who did the dirty. It was indeed the reason for removing him from the finance ministry. Nobody said the UNP lacked crooks. This one is probably the biggest and a real problem case.
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wannihami / July 25, 2017
AA/AM/RK/RW…multi-way deal..want me to draw a network diagram?
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wannihami / July 25, 2017
Oh poor NV so naive, the business woman does not have to ask why AA is renting a flat for Ravi…or why any XYZ is renting a flat for any ABC, she is not working for the Auditor General..get it now?
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Native Vedda / July 26, 2017
wannihami
Great work.
I wrote:
“Seriously Anika Wijesooriya as a good patriot didn’t want to rock the board by asking silly questions, say why Arjun Aloysius was paying the rent on behalf of the Minister who was entitle for an official residence paid for by the state.”
Please reread my comment.
There are contractual and legal implications connected with third party payment.
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Ben Hurling / July 24, 2017
Sir,
Is this Yahapalanaya or God Father IV in the making? Stupid Sri Lankans are being governed by a network of unscrupulous bastards. From SLFP & UNP. Since 1948, they have had a revolving door to corridors of power to rob you. Cheers!
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Sarrij / July 25, 2017
spot on!
same old same old !
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Words / July 25, 2017
Yes..”they did it too” syndrome.. bloody idiots these yahapalanians are!
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Gamarala / July 25, 2017
There’s no such thing as a free lunch.
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Just saying / July 25, 2017
This is a clear cut case – not hearsay and it exposes the underbelly of corruption in politics and sheer contempt politicians have for ethics or what is right. It is clear that Anika has panicked when contacted by the CID and decided to spill the beans.
Witness tampering is proving to be the biggest crime in all this and Arjun is neck-high in in his own excrement in this regard.
A statement from the two at the top ? don’t hold your breath
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Simon De Silva / July 25, 2017
I think it is so stupid let this govt only to focus on this issues, while let burying all the high crimes – fund drags of former so called regime.
UNP rs should be so stupid if they deliberately do so. Ranil will have to face it next term.
And Mr Sirisena count his points since he is the person to have appointed a PC to go for investigations on the bond scam.
Now with the reveals adding one behind the other day- makes it very clear
that even current govt ministers to have been bribed by so called PTL.
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Citizen X / July 25, 2017
Hope all this is not just a new Election propaganda Drama!?
In 2015 they promised to go after the Rajapaksa Criminal Network, still nothing but empty promises…
Why should we continue to vote for you, give us a good reason!?
you are turning a blind eye to all the development projects around the country… While Black money is coming it from offshore shell companies for these projects!?
You are not even protecting the people by making sure they are adequately compensated when their properties are affected by, or needed for development projects!!?
While the politicians make their commissions for passing projects (that sometimes don’t meet the regulations too) and fail to protect the interest of the people affected by these development projects, how can we trust you!? (If this is happening in the heart of Colombo 03, i feel for all the people in other areas, how they must be cheated)
There is a project in Kollupitiya next to Carnival Ice Cream that is not being investigated, why is that!!?
We are not being compensated properly for all the damages caused…
While a tamil UNP municipal councilor and a former Mahinda Rajapaksa minister is trying to harass the neighbourhood is this good governance and good development practices!!?
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Citizen X / July 25, 2017
This has already been brought to the attention of the President & Prime minister, and we hope they will see that this matter is looked into, and investigated and all affected will be properly compensated.
#PrimeMinisterSriLAnka #PresedantSri Lanka #INTERPOL #FCID
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Perriamama / July 24, 2017
Oh dear oh dear.
Will ‘Mr. Clean’ Ranil do anything? There seems to be no end to the embarrassing disclosures to this bond scam.
(Oh and green supporters, please no comments on the previous regime’s corruption. We all know that, it was RW who claimed he was cleaner than snow).
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Harsha David / July 24, 2017
When the bigshots in this government enguage in courruption for the colombo elite, its only an opportunity to reflect how courrupt the previous regime was. How nice ?
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Sam / July 24, 2017
Anika wijesuriyar is a very brave young lady …. well done !
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Susantha / July 25, 2017
You’re obviously not aware of her involvement in the royal park case. Nahil paid off the press to keep her name out of it at that time, but not so lucky this time
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thrishu / July 24, 2017
What a can of worms in RW government and in this Bond Scam. Bribery and corruption at almost the highest place. Not long to go over the top! I cannot understand how these ministers have the nerve to face the public. It is becoming obvious why FCID was scrapped!
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harry hatton / July 24, 2017
Ranil appointed rogue Ravi K as Minister fInance.
Ranil appointed rogue( foreigner) Mahendran as governor central bank ignoring the howl of protests by concerned citizens.
Ranil appointed three UNP lawyers to investigate the bond scam( the culprit appointing his own judges!)
Ranil defended Mahendran at every point saying that the 22 million people don’t understand soverign bonds and that only he( a non-practsing lawyer) and crook banker Mahendran and his rascal son in law Arjun understand bonds!
Ranil got unprincipled UNP MPs like Harsha Silva, Ajit Perera and Sujeeva Senasinghe to defend Mahendran and make themselves into jokers.
After Mahendran was forced out Ranil brought back the much discredited Tilak marapone ( 75 years old) as economic manager of his government. Everybody thinks that Marapone is too young and needs a few more years before he is experienced enough to handle these heavy responsibilities! !
Next plan -Ranil wants to split the SLFP votes so that he becomes our next president
Has this country seen a bigger enemy than RW ever ?
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srinath gunaratne / July 25, 2017
Right Royal Shit hole!
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A Patriotic Citizen / July 24, 2017
Why The Hell People Still Call This DIRTY JUNK STUFF Mr.Clean……He is Still to Get GODS’ Super-vision……………The Best Place To Try Him……..People Are Suffering To Their Death………These Ungrateful Lot Having Their Gloriest Of A Time………….There Would Not Be A HELL For them To Go
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Josh / July 24, 2017
as damning as this article may be, CT has done grave injustice to the witness by exposing her name as she clearly did not want her name to be exposed and thats why she used an alias in her testimony..
will CT take responsibility for any harm that occurs to the witness due to this expose?
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Magdon / July 24, 2017
But where was this courtesy when other witnesses gave evidence? . Good on CT for publishing it. Nahil and Ravi are hand in glove business partners and all their underhand dealings should be made public.
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bandito / July 25, 2017
the glorified ??
That was what Galleon and Branson always said.
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Jayasingha / July 25, 2017
Nahil, please also reply to comment by Susantha on the Royal Park case where your daughter was supposed to be involved.
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Jimsofty / July 24, 2017
Josh: Why when people are connected to humongous frauds, their names should not be exposed ?. Are you a paid for this writing ? Are you a lawyer ? Is it only the daughter connected how about elder people ?. Why Perpetual Treauries is not penalized is the question. Are other bigger politicians connected to this ?
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Mala / July 25, 2017
Josh, the answer is simple the bond commission hearings are public.
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Killainstinx / July 25, 2017
[Edited out] Also other witnesses didn’t get anonymity so why her?
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Vishwa / July 24, 2017
Very irresponsible of Colombo Telegraph for publishing her name if;
“The witness Anika, provided her name as Muthukudarachchige Vinodini in order to protect her identity during testimony.”
I hope CT knows that action can be taken against CT under the Assistance to and Protection of Crime and Witnesses Act No. 04 of 2015. I hope CT also knows that such action will be criminal in nature.
Sensitive matters must be treated sensitive !
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Mala / July 25, 2017
Answer is simple the bond commission hearings are public.
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douglas / July 24, 2017
This “House Fire” termed “Bond Scam” started in the House Of Representatives has now spread into a “High Magnitude Forest Fire”. It is now an uncontrollable “Wild Fire”, where all those untamed, uncultured, unethical “Professionals” have been living very comfortably with their families and goons. However, the main players, who are very “Professional” in robbing, are still “confident” and “active” to dose off the fire. In that environment, anything is possible, even to the extent of “extermination” of any and every obstacle that stand on their way. The Presidential Commission in this instance has a major task to perform, in that, all those fighting to expose the causes of the “Wild Fire” has to be protected to continue to see another day of their lives. Let the “Wild, Wild” perish and protect the “Innocent” – the tax payers live.
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Rasputin. / July 24, 2017
Why is this news? Didn’t we know this about Ravi?
Yahapalanya days are numbered. What a bloody shame. Jan 2015 revolution gone to the dogs.
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K.Pillai / July 24, 2017
Ravi Karunanayake has the right of rebuttal.
The photo of the Karunanayakes has an ornamental foliage known locally as ‘money-plant’. It must have grown substantially since to ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’ height!
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Sarrij / July 25, 2017
good one.
good sense of humor.
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Sinhala_Man / July 25, 2017
A very strange sentence indeed:
The witness Anika, provided her name as Muthukudarachchige Vinodini in order to protect her identity during testimony.
I know it’s been pointed out already, but it’s worth highlighting. However thanks to the lady. These rogues must be exposed. With how much zeal did guys like me work for the overthrow of the Rajapaksas. Was it only for this sort of thing to be done by Ranil W.’s acolytes?
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K A Sumanasekera / July 25, 2017
Gold Class performances of Olympic Level Politikkas in the UNP……….I saw Lotto Ravi ( I like it better now) holding Atapirika, on his way to worship Malwatta Mahanayaka, just before he got the ass from Finance……Did Aloysious pay for the Atapirikara too…….. If he did , it must be Gold class too…………Yahapalaka suckers must be soooooo happy to read the leader board this morning… …..My Elders asked me what about the poor bastards ( Dalits of course ) who are in the EPF with their Life Savings?……………Well , what could I say…. …. I hope they buy a bottle of Mendis Gal from Aloysious, and drown the sadness and anger in Yahapalana Kassippu……..The again I thought …Just imagine if the poor Bastards realise that they are buying and drinking the same Grog, which they paid for with their own EPF money for Aloysious and his , Uncle to Brew and Sell………. ……. Where does Dr Ranil live on the Weekends one would wonder…. Lottery Ravi must be thinking Dr Ranil is Gold Class too, at least in investments…….Dr Ranil paid only 25 Lakhs in LKR of course to Prince Anura to buy the JVP, Lock, Stock and Barrel……. How cool is that, Even Warren Buffet wouldn’t match it……
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Gema / July 25, 2017
What’s that Financial magazine that chose him as the best Finance Minister of the world. I want to email a copy of this article to its chief editor. He/she may probably retract the award because it would be an insult and a huge black mark for the magazine.
We have lost our faith on many international institutions and organizations including the UNHRC because they can be bought through money and connections. Today social media are so powerful that no international player including the international press can hide the truth from the public.
I am not a supporter of Donald Trump but I salute him for defeating Hilary Clinton who tried to flatten the Globe with her crazy ideas like neo-liberalism. Doanld Trump was a liberator in that sense.
All magazines and news media helped Hilary but who won the race? This should be accepted by mainstream media today and they should not be ashamed to correct their way of looking at the world; if they have committed errors it is better to accept them now (sooner than later). The above Financial magazine has time to correct its mistake of the ‘award’ and the people of Sri Lanka who are aware of Ravi K’s clandestine deals will be very happy to see such a straightforwardness.
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Adrian / July 25, 2017
Could the JO (hand in glove with the PM) or the JVP demand to know whether RK, former Finance Minister, has paid tax on this handout from Arjun, and ask Income Tax to haul him up for tax fraud if he had not declared this gift in his returns?
All politicians with unexplained wealth should be audited by Inland Revenue, a response more effective than a hundred anti-corruption bodies!
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Reeba / July 25, 2017
????
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Shrikharan / July 25, 2017
Only way to get these crooks is to throw the entire lot of parliamentarians out of parliament by NOT electing them next time and elect totally new people and then these crooks will not have any impunity and have to stand like any ordinary man before justice.
Otherwise the same story blaming the previous Government for all the ills and get elected promising the ordinary people a ‘Yahalpanaya’ and a corruption free and violence free Government and once elected continue the same sins of the previous government and go even to the extent of protecting the crooks of the previous regime in stark contradiction to what they promised to the people.
The whole lot are crooks and they all, whether the Government or opposition both are ‘good friends’ and only the people who trusted them and got them elected are fools.
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nosey parker / July 25, 2017
And we the tax paying public , how much longer are we going to tolerate being sodomized by this bunch of rogues ?
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Native Vedda / July 26, 2017
nosey parker
“And we the tax paying public”
When did you last pay tax?
” how much longer are we going to tolerate being sodomized by this bunch of rogues ?”
I am not sure whether you are being sodomised or not however you been taken for a very long ride for a very long time. The bum hurts if you sit for a long time.
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Words / July 25, 2017
Seriously.. why are readers shocked.????. did we not know Ravi k was the most corrupt man in the UNP?..WE DID!!
Did we not know that Ranil was NEVER the portrayed Mr. CLEAN..? WE DID!! He tried to stop this investigation taking place as much as he could! Thank heaven’s for the insistence of the JO
Sirisena.. grow a pair of “*****” and throw these monsters out NOW!
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Gamarala / July 25, 2017
In most other countries this revelation is enough for a Minister to resign or be sacked – but not in Sri Lanka.
Ranil will not be able to advise the President as he himself is part of the scam.
Remember he protected these scammers making a statement in Parliament that MPs dont know the difference between treasury bonds and James Bond.
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srinath gunaratne / July 25, 2017
Well, using company money for personnel use, is it not benefit in kind? Did Ravi pay tax on them?
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Native Vedda / July 26, 2017
srinathan gunaratnam
It depends, 1. if the company owed those connected persons loans the company can repay them if it had sufficient cash flow 2. these payments can be considered dividends payable provided the company had Revenue reserves or from current period profits, … 3. If repaid within 9 months I believe BIK rules don’t apply.
Are you an accountant? If you are I sympathise with your client/employer.
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Gamarala / July 25, 2017
It would be very interesting to investigate whether there was a 165 Million transfer from a subsidiary of Perpetual Treasuries to any other company during thus period.
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Paramanathan K / July 25, 2017
Dirty Harry does it again. Ravi is notorious for many corrupt practices in the past which the whole country knows except the Prime Minister. But he is clever enough to manipulate inquiries. This time there is no way to escape.
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citizen Prem / July 25, 2017
None of the UNEDUCATED DONKEYS like to see the development of this country..It looks like the majority of the comments made here are by the 3rd class citizens. If RW is not a clean politician (ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU ALL SAY) how can he secure foreign aids ? Did the previous era receive so (Simply the AIDS received after the TSUNAMI disaster ?) UNFORTUNATELY WE ARE DIGGING OUR OWN GRAVES. ‘I WISH THE GOVERNMENT IGNORES THE NEGATIVE COMMENTS, GO AHEAD WITH THE PLANNED DEVELOPMENT EFFORTS. (worse and ungrateful BUFFOONS are PARAdeniya and his clans)
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upul / July 25, 2017
I love how the comments about freedom, democracy and government without an understanding of what those terms mean in real life.
Can you imagine an investigative body before Jan 2015 having a witness come forward, without ANY hindrance and state a cabinet minister rented her condominium and the rent was paid by another. And, to cap it all, after she requested her tenants vacate, they had the financial capacity to pay SLR 165 Million through privately held company.
No question, what follows will be revealing at many levels. For now, Ravi K is caught with his pants down!! Whether you like it or not, credit goes to the present administration.
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wannihami / July 25, 2017
Then why cannot the present oh so credible government bring the alleged crooks fro the previous regime to book? No evidence? Those alleged frauds never happend or the current regime is Oh so nice? Which one is it mister?
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The innocent / July 25, 2017
Looks like this poor little, but extremely beautiful, country has no hope of becoming a decent pace to live for ever when a set of bloody crooks govern it all the time!
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Common Sense / July 25, 2017
Oh! Isn’t it Ravi as Finance Minister who is supposed to have written a note in a questionable stationary and format requesting some Bond trading be done? But Treasury Officials now say that large amount of Bond Trading was not required. And AA has paid the rent for Ravi’s Accomodation. Net result he has some quesitons to answer and the man has the audacity to tell the commission that he is busy and has the brass guts to tell thay such and such are his free dates. Just because he is the now the Foreign Minister he should not have been exempted. If so then the famous saying “All animals are equal but some are more equal than others”
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lion / July 25, 2017
Now the ….er wants Visumpaya “ackland house”….entertain foreign dignitaries…..inferiority complex of asshole
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Chedi / July 25, 2017
Pl read and understand why a fesh indictment was never served..
Ex-Attorney General In Hot Water For Favouring Ravi Karunanayake In Money Laundering Case.
https://www.spur.asn.au/2017/03/11/ex-attorney-general-in-hot-water-for-favouring-ravi-karunanayake-in-money-laundering-case/
5. At the hearing, an objection was raised on behalf of the accused Mr Ravi Karunanayake, by his counsel that the indictment served on the accused was flawed. Inter alia, the primary objections were raised that the accuracy about the date of receipt of the money referred to in the indictment, (3 million US Dollars sent by Raj Rajarathnam) as referred to in the Charge 1 to 4. The indictment refers to the deposit of funds in the account No 1122258 – 02 at the Standard Charted Bank, Kirulapona, whereas the dates referred to in the indictment did not clearly specify whether the dates given therein referred to the date of receipt of the funds in Sri Lanka or the date on which the said funds were credited to the account referred to therein.
6. As there was a clear ambiguity in the said indictment the Court declined to proceed with the matter on the basis that the indictment was defective. Accordingly, the accused Mr Ravi Karunanayake was discharged, however with specific reference made to the legal right of the Attorney General to serve an indictment afresh to the accused Mr Ravi Karunanayake.
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srinath gunaratne / July 25, 2017
Man got out with technicality!
AG should have refiled the charges! Well, that would be the day? wouldn’t it?
Slippery as Teflon!
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Native Vedda / July 26, 2017
srinathan gunaratnam
“Slippery as Teflon!”
This story is about Minister Ravi Karunanayake, not about Wimal Sangili Karuppan Weerawansa.
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Mudiyanselage / July 27, 2017
“”The indictment refers to the deposit of funds in the account No 1122258 – 02 at the Standard Charted Bank, Kirulapona, whereas the dates referred to in the indictment did not clearly specify whether the dates given therein referred to the date of receipt of the funds in Sri Lanka or the date on which the said funds were credited to the account referred to therein.””
Fools paradise! that is exactly how the chetty registrars of colombo courts made hay. So the sun still shines on porriki mulla.
the government could have easily referred the matter to FBI as all transactions whether you use a debit card at a cash point over there has to go through Mastercard or Visa and there is a time limit on withholding (exchange fluctuations speculations)
Update the case and he gets cornered as Raj is still a jail bird or is the governor a former associate of Galleon hiding it under the carpet??
?Budai : The Laughing Buddha ?
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kotalawala / July 25, 2017
Yes GAMARALA, super point COME ON INLAND REVENUE , WHERE ARE YOU,
they must be looking for leaves in the forest, PROBABLY.
Kotalawala
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Saturnina / July 25, 2017
“Danno Danithi” when will the crap stop? Highway robbers only small sprats get put in the cells.
High time there is Law& Order Equal to all communities rich or poor alike after all that is why there is a Judgement and Justice
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