Intervention at the highest levels of Government has permitted Senior DIG Ravi Waidyalankara to continue as head of the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) despite serious allegations of corruption and sabotage of sensitive investigations being levelled against the high-ranking cop.
In May 2018 Waidyalankara was given a service extension of eight months by the UNP-led Government when he reached the retirement age of 60. The extension was granted despite opposition from the IGP, the National Police Commission and several other quarters.
Waidyalankara is currently under investigation by the Police Special Investigations Unit (SIU) and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption. The Bribery Commission is currently investigating SDIG Waidyalankara over his alleged assets.
Monarch Apartment
One such “asset” under scrutiny is the Monarch Apartment the senior DIG allegedly purchased in his son Asela Waidyalankara’s name. It was previously reported that the Monarch Apartment No 16/A2 is registered in Asela Waidyalankara’s name. Other properties allegedly purchased by SDIG Waidyalankara – several using frontmen – have also come to light including a prime property in Colombo 05 that was purchased in 2017-2018. (Details to follow)
Colombo Telegraph can now reveal that SDIG Waidyalankara has deliberately sabotaged several high profile corruption probes involving top members of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s regime.
A lawyer by training SDIG Waidyalankara has been able to subvert or divert several investigations into key players in the Rajapaksa administration including Sajin Vaas Gunewardane, Gamini Senarath, Thiru Nadesan and Dilith Jayaweera that were originally under the purview of the FCID.
Additionally, SDIG Waidyalankara is alleged to be hand-in-glove with a notorious money launderer indicted in the US-Sri Lankan businessman Rienzie Edwards. A US court ordered Edwards assets frozen after he was indicted on money laundering charges in 2017 but Colombo Telegraph learns that the funds in several bank accounts in Sri Lankan banks were dispersed after the order was communicated to the FCID.
Law enforcement circles are also buzzing with information that SDIG Waidyalankara has made several attempts to smuggle crucial documents out of the FCID headquarters in Fort. At least one such attempt was shortly before the top cop boarded a flight to Singapore where several suspects in the highly sensitive MiG-27 deal investigation are known to be in residence. More recently Waidyalankara was also suspected of attempting to smuggle files pertaining to the Krrish deal investigation out of the FCID HQ.
The two investigations Waidyalankara tried to sabotage are directly linked to key members of the Rajapaksa family – namely Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Namal Rajapaksa.
Colombo Telegraph learns that SDIG Waidyalankara is being afforded protection from investigation from both President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. In spite of sustained allegations of corruption and collusion with suspects in major cases his own unit is handling, Waidyalankara continues to keep his job as head of the premier police agency investigating complicated financial crimes. Concerns are rife that the crooked cop will be granted a further service extension in March 2019, allowing him to continue as FCID chief and jeopardise what is left of the unit’s major cases.
In the 3 February issue of the Sunday Times the newspaper’s political columnist wrote about corrupt police officials who had “benefitted and became filthily rich”.
“As a result of this, there is only one breed – some very corrupt Police officials – who benefitted and became filthily rich. Believe it or not, some are millionaires. Tragic enough, the two sides continue to woo them” the Sunday Times Political Editor noted. The line is strongly believed to be a thinly veiled reference to SDIG Waidyalankara under whose purview many of these most serious corruption investigations were placed when the Yahapalanaya Government came to power in 2015.
The Sunday Times political column is accurate in that Waidyalankara was the UNP choice to head the FCID, but has become an important asset to all political factions fighting to keep corruption investigations and litigation at bay. The SDIG’s valiant attempts to save senior officials of the former Rajapaksa regime has won him favour with President Sirisena who is in turn seeking to curry favour with Mahinda Rajapaksa in order to win his support to become the SLFP-SLPP candidate at the 2019 presidential election. Colombo Telegraph can also reveal that President Sirisena has been complicit in interference with high profile investigations. After taking over as SLFP Chairman in 2015 in order to keep his party ranks together Sirisena directly intervened to stop FCID corruption probes against senior members of the SLFP including Susil Premajayanth and Anura Priyadarshana Yapa. The UNP has also used SDIG Waidyalankara to stall corruption investigations against members of the former Rajapaksa regime they were courting for various political deals. High up on this list is Gamini Senarath, former Chief of Staff to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa who was finally indicted in the Permanent High Court after it was established last year. (By Ramani Bulathgamuwa)
Naman / February 23, 2019
Look at Ravi W’s wrists or any other Politicians’ — More crimes they commit, more threads and rings with expensive stones can be seen!!!
What culture is this?
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Van Buren / February 23, 2019
Naman,
this is SL culture, Sri Lankan Buddhist culture to tie threads, strings and ropes on wrists of every SOB involved in corruption. Sri lankans need to tie some damn shitty thread on their wrists before they go for a piss, a shit, a f–k, a shag, a murder, a corrupt deal, a robbery, to scoop dope ( heroin ), to visit a brothel, every nefarious act etc etc.
Its a wonder they don’t tie threads on their dicks and its no surprise if its done.
More crimes more threads and balls of every size dangling from all parts of the body.
There is no quick fix to this stupid culture as the threads and balls will ultimately bring a painful and gruesome end to the persons concerned. This can be seen in the gruesome road accidents happening on a daily basis, and the murders.
Sri lanka a beautiful country, with everything in nature that God can provide but unfortunately ugly, very ugly and pathetic people and culture.
Sad but true.
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Freemason Winter / February 23, 2019
Agree.
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We need to convert to a culture with more bizarre paraphernalia, rituals and hand shakes. More than anything else, we should accept that the European Jewish royalty are the direct descendants of Christ.
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Then all our problems will disappear, because we will protect all thieves, murderers and philanderers by infiltrating the police, armed forces and the judiciary wih members of our brotherhood.
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So accept the advice of van and lorry Burens and Portens. Then we will be alright!
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Gune / February 23, 2019
It is people like us who brought the UNF into power in 2015. It is people like us who stood firm during the coup in October 2018. It is people like us who WONT stand and defend Ranil Wickremesinghe again.
#allarethesame
#Enoughisenough
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rew / February 25, 2019
Ranil, Pissa, and MR must go for any change to take place.
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Good Advice / February 23, 2019
Don’t blame Ranil for this. He has no power in law and order. There is nothing for him to gain anyway. Maithripala is the Minister in charge of Police. It is Maithripala who is prtoceting all crooks. He stopped the Chief of Defence Wijegunarathne? from arrest. The list is too long.
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Buramphisincho / February 23, 2019
Agree with you more.
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He thereofre decided to give the benefit of the doubt and continued. Even before My3 took over, he had been STANDING on the way, not allowing PM to function independently. Let the cat out of the bag is the need of the hour. BP SIRISENA deserves to be 6-feet-UNDER than relecting and destroy this nation. Basta.
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Douglas / February 24, 2019
Good Advice: You said: ” Don’t blame Ranil for this”. I think you missed or forgot the “Beginnings” of this “FCID”. For your information, it was Ranil who proposed and got a “Committee” appointed to “Wet” the complaints before being sent to this FCID a unit under the Police Department. At that time, when the cases were “pouring” in , the then Minister in-charge was , Minister Law & Order, Sagala Ratnayake. This unit, FCID was immediately brought under this DIG Waiydiyarlankara, and it was “Public Knowledge” that he was “Lackey” of MR. Since FCID was a unit in the Police Dept. IGP became the “Head”. Perhaps you would remember, that “Yes Sir…Yes Sir….I will not arrest Nileme….Yes Sir I will get the file.” telephone conversation this IGP had with Sagala Ratnayke, the then Minister of Law & Order. So from “DAY ONE” of the birth of FCID to this day of giving extension of service to this Waiydyalankara, everyone in Governance beginning from the President have “Connived” and Ganged” up to protect the “MR & Co. Inc”. Please always remember this “History”. I say this because in Sri Lanka, it is in the GENES of People to “FORGET”.
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Monica Vidanapathirana / February 24, 2019
Why don’t they arrest him (Vidyalankara) after such a crime?
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Plato. / February 25, 2019
Waidyalankara in this photo looks more like a leading member of the colombo underworld rather than a cop.
The irony of his job takes the cake; Investigating Financial crimes! Set a Thief to catch a Thief eh?
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Hela / February 25, 2019
FCID was to be set up under the direct control of PM Wickremasinghe, with SDIG Waidyalankara as it’s head. Because of the legality issues that it was then moved under the IGP. All yahapalanistas were singing hosannas about the SDIG then. We said then that the yahapalanaya is a fraud. Many still don’t realise it.
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Mj / February 25, 2019
Sri Lanka can not be saved from criminals. Any government that come to power will ruined it. Sri Lanka always in tiears.. sad to say but it’s the truth.. remember how Mrs.Bandaranayeka took Sri Lanka to the trash bin. To teach the people a good lesson. Her kids and the family had a good life .. it still continues my friends.
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