The offices of Lycamobile, owned by Sri Lankan born Subaskaran Allirajah was raided by French Police, with 19 people working for the company arrested in connection with a multi-million pound tax and money laundering scandal. Lycamobile is the UK conservative Party’s biggest donor, and Allirajah is alleged to be an associate of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Subaskaran Allirajah
Lycamobile, the multinational telecoms giant, which has given at least £2.2m to Prime Minister David Cameron’s party since 2011, including half-a-million last year alone, also allowed Boris Johnson to use one of their call centres during his successful 2012 campaign to become Mayor of London.
There are allegations that Allirajah was involved in embezzling millions of dollars from Sri Lanka through associates who were close to Rajapaksa.
According to, BuzzFeed News, Sri Lankan authorities are scrutinizing a deal in which the state telecoms company was forced to pump around $10 million into a “completely flawed” venture owned jointly by a relative of Rajapaksa and a key offshore company in the Lycamobile business network.
The raid follows an investigation by BuzzFeed that caught Lycamobile ‘employing three cash couriers to drop rucksacks stuffed with hundreds of thousands of pounds twice a day at Post Offices scattered across London,’ according to the news site.
Bundles of cash were seized in raids on Lycamobile’s Paris headquarters, and a series of residential and business addresses across the city, while the company’ s French bank accounts have since been frozen.
Lycamobile’s Sri Lankan-born owner, Subaskaran Allirajah, is a member of the exclusive Leader’s Group for top Tory donors.
He has dined with Mr Cameron or members of his cabinet twice in the past six months, and is also close to Mr Johnson, after bankrolling his campaign.
None of those involved admit any wrongdoing, with Lycamobile previously claiming that the filmed cash drops were just ‘day to day banking’.
But according to Buzzfeed investigators the French authorities have identified money coming from shell companies suspected of acting as fronts for ‘various networks laundering profits from crime.’
Buzzfeed probed 19 companies that allegedly funnelled tens of millions of euros into Lycamobile’s French accounts.
All but one ‘was registered at PO boxes, vacant offices, derelict buildings, or a construction site.’ David Cameron pledged to crack down on money laundering and offshore tax avoidance at the global anti-corruption summit in London last month.
He said he wanted to ‘send a clear message to the corrupt that there is no home for them here’.
According to the Buzzfeed investigation, Lycamobile is selling its prepaid calling cards on the black market in Paris for cash, and is then using a ‘a vast system of false billing’ to invoice fake companies for the sales in order to conceal other illicit payments.
Lycamobile’s own auditors declared over the past two years that they could not account for total of £646 million that moved through 10 companies in its complex corporate network.
Silva / June 21, 2016
Good work. Now acquire the help of INTERPOL (The International Criminal Police Organization) to deal with this Rajapaksa Criminal network. They will already have plenty on them and those helping them too.
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Kalupahana / June 22, 2016
The people verses the GLOBAL 1 PERCENT – corrupt politicians, their business cronies and global MONEY POLITICS – is the new global conflict trend, given inequality.
Today 63 people own more than half the worlds wealth (OXFAM).
Civil Society groups in Sri Lanka should set a world precedent and petition the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHRC) to to end impunity of corrupt Govt. officials on the basis of Economic and Social Rights and Justice for ALL the people of Sri Lanka, Tamil, Singhala, Muslim etc.
The IMPUNITY and IMMUNITY for financial crimes enjoyed by Nivard Cabraal and Mahendran under Mahinda Jarapassa, Ranil Wickramasinghe and Sira Ayahapalanay govt. must end and those named in the Panama Papers should be investigated and their assets brought back to pay off the national debt. The IMF has legalised corruption in the global financial system and is distracting us with useless loans rather than tracking down the looted billions from counties that are in crisis. Sri lanka is headed to be another Greece today because of Mahendran’s corruption and Ranil-Sira’ govt.s failure to fire him long ago.
Moodys has just down graded Sri Lanka’s rating into negative and this is a sign of the economic and social crisis the country faces with more bond selling this week – as in Greece.
FUTURE Accountability of CB governors and their political masters must be ensured and hence Mahendan and Nivard Cabraal must be PROSECUTED for financial crimes or UNHRC must intervene and try them too with INDEPENDENT FOREIGN JUDGES just as the war criminals in Lanka should be tried..
Civil society should ask for the assets of Mahendran and Nivard Cabraall to be frozen and Perpetual Treasuries investigated and all the others named in Panama Papers. It is not enough to simply let Mahendran’s off as his contract has ended – and let him off to go and live the high life on his ill gotten gains in Singapore! A full investigation of Mahendran and Nivard Cabraal and their bond scams, insider trading and currency manipulations is necessary.
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Sarojini / June 22, 2016
LycamobIle allegedly supplied a substantial donation to the Conservative Party before the Commonwealth conference. The reason was to act against. SL and MR. I saw how. Cameron behaved during this time by refusing the vehicle allocated to the diplomats arriving in SL. DC sabotaged the entire commonwealth conference by avoiding the conference but travelling to Jaffna. The other delegates participated in the other events during the Commonwealth conference. Does this indicate that he supported the then President MR. ????? Just reminding people how rumours and allegations surface linking MR to known criminals. In fact DC very dutifully obliged _
One of his biggest donors.
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Citizen / June 22, 2016
Actors vijay’s kathi movie was produced by Lyca. Movie had to postponed due to pressure from LTTE outfits in TN as they claimed Lyca had close ties with Rajapaksa
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Sinchuappu / June 22, 2016
What is with Udayanga Weerathunge ? who is said to have honey mooning with former these days also in Japan ?
Why Interpol seems to be that incapable of getting him caught ?
Silva, you are whole hearted proxy RW, but I am now fed up being unable to see that any of the men be given high punishments by the current regime.
We are hopeless… please add your thoughts about the line… why FCID or other boddies even after new AG is appointed… why all these stay stagnated….
Where are the tangible changes they louded us prior to elections…. ?
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Mano / June 22, 2016
They should also look into the US. They have their so called associates operating there too.
Every time the Rajapaksa clan visited New York, they were feted by many of these jokers, and it would be interesting to see what investments and money laundering might have taken place over there.
If the investigators scrutinized their associates, there will be a money trail.
The Sri Lankan people have lost to much during the Rajapaksa regime, and looks like the present regime may be doing the same. We are always the losers, and the politicians get away with it.
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Kapila / June 22, 2016
Los Angeles, city of Angels is the homeland of Gota and Basil and their Sinhala Buddhist empire.. and needs a lot of investigation.. also
Avant Guard Money trail leads to LA. Thats where the infamous so called Minister of Justice Wijedasa Jarapassa had a holiday with Avant Guard man Senadhipathi and were entertained by the Rajapaksa cronies..
BTW what happened to the Avant Guard inquiry of FCID under the Ranil Wickramasinghes carpet or Sira’s redda?!
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Native Vedda / June 23, 2016
Kapila
“BTW what happened to the Avant Guard inquiry of FCID under the Ranil Wickramasinghes carpet or Sira’s redda?!”.
Please contact Sarojini, she might be able to tell you about everything that you want know about Cameron, Lyca, ….. except the clan’s financial activities and their relation with Lyca.
Probably she is an investigative journalist.
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kumaran / June 22, 2016
Sooner or later, everything done in darkness comes to light. Raj Rajaratnam is still in jail and many who lived in luxury on their plundered loot are languishing in jail or awaiting. In this electronic age, these corrupt practices are not easy.
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K.Pillai / June 22, 2016
“There are allegations that Allirajah was involved in embezzling millions of dollars from Sri Lanka through associates who were close to Rajapaksa”
Most Lankans know the few close to Rajapaksa and the many disliked by Rajapaksa.
“Lycamobile’s own auditors declared over the past two years that they could not account for total of £646 million that moved through 10 companies in its complex corporate network”
It is possible that most multi-nationals will have such skeleton in the cupboards.
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AshyD / June 22, 2016
“IF YOU LOOK YOU WILL FIND”
So start looking, there are millions of our money out there, which were robbed by the Rajapakses getting them back is the Government’s prerogative.
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Rohan / June 22, 2016
This guy is a master manipulator!
He produced a movie in Tamil Nadu with one of the top South Indian stars, Vijay. Kaththi faced a strong protest in Tamil Nadu because of the alleged links of this man with the Rajapakse regime.
What did he do to escape from this issue? He organised a drama according to some informed sources.
In October 2014 a well-publicised arrest took place in Colombo airport involving the Lyca boss, Subaskaran Allirajah, and a group of others!
The purpose was to tell the world there is no hanky-panky between the Rajapaksa establishment and Lyca.
The news was that the Lyca chief was arrested and investigated in Colombo, while transiting on his way to London from the Maldives.
We should remember that Lyca group was a major sponsor of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Colombo.
Lankanewsweb.com, published an article in November 2004 with the title ‘Secret of Lyca Mobile owner suddenly becoming anti-Rajapaksa!’.
http://archive.lankanewsweb.net/exclusive/9121-secret-of-lyca-mobile-owner-suddenly-becoming-anti-rajapaksa
DBS Jeyaraj also wrote an article on Gnanam Foundation, name after the mother of Lyca boss.
http://dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/33379
I remember seeing a picture of Lyca boss, disembarking from a helicopter with Sanath Jayasuriya in Vanni.
Now can someone tell me why he was arrested (seems, they were unruly in their plane) and how they were released?
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Lemuria / June 22, 2016
He was not arrested and the Captain of the Srilankan Airline plane who is also a Tamil refused to take off unless Lyca guys get down from the plane for drunken behaviour.
Source – Sundaytimes.lk
http://www.sundaytimes.lk/141102/columns/captain-fantastic-drunken-uk-rajahs-brought-down-to-earth-125667.html
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Native Vedda / June 23, 2016
Lemuria
Is Capt. S. Senthoorselvan still employed by Sri Lankan Airlines?
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Lemuria / June 23, 2016
[Edited out]
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Barus / June 22, 2016
Namal baby , are you reading these news articles? Lyca’s scams are way too many to survive too long in the European market. This is the only telecom company that hired the most number of lawyers in their workforce.
They need all the legal loopholes researched well to get out at times like this. Selling calling cards can never make this guy a BILLIONAIRE, for sure.
Lycamobile is a MVNO , they own nothing in terms of infrastructure. They piggyback on someone else’s technical knowledge.
These fellows are clear manipulators and played the ethnic card very well to draw much customers.
Hopefully, this company is shut down at the earliest in the best interest of the telecom industry.
At least, France has done the job of freezing their accounts. What has the Sri Lankan Government done to bring the Pakses to justice? ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!!!
Locking up a Pakse Son in Luxury jail room WITH home cooked food, is no punishment, at all.
At least freeze their assets or take some action that will hit their financial bottomline. So far, the Pakses don’t feel a thing about their loss at election.
SRI LANKA – A LAND LIKE NO OTHER. How so true!!!
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Garuda / June 23, 2016
You can be assured that the French have bungled with their account for arrest.- French Police, did it at Brussels because of language.
“Selling calling cards can never make this guy a BILLIONAIRE, for sure. “
90% at London alone are tourist (50% usa) and they bring £4 billion per year. Teh Chinese in 2 weeks of new year bring in £2 billion and E3 billion France.
Tourist generally buy calling cards and most locals too.
(of course there are tricks, time limits, frequency etc on the cards but people get by)
Its possible- care for pennies and the pounds care for themselves.
The French has held him because he is a Sri Lankan Tamil (terrorist)
good guys and bad guys.
First thing that hits a sri lankan mind is jealousy so different from the compassionate west.
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Mudson Silva. / June 22, 2016
I AGREE WITH YOU 100% SILVA. ALL THESE RASCALS WERE DEAD SILENT WHEN JARAPAKSA AND 40 ALI BABA THIEVES RAN AMOK, MASS MURDER, RAPE, NEPOTISM,FRAUD, EMBEZZLEMENT, LOOTING MILLIONS OF MONEY OUT OF SRILANKA. THE MEDIA COOLIES FUNDED BY THE JARAPAKSAS EG, SEERASA, IRU, THERANA, SPIN DOCTORS DJ, GOMEEN DAYASHREE , PARATHEEBA MAHAVAMSA , ARE ALL IN THE GAME TO OUST RANIL.
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Samuel Jayaweera / June 22, 2016
Yes Mr Medamulana abused state funds as no other.
But those Ravaya or other men even today, defend him.
This is srilanka. They support abusers openly,.. while criticising clean men. Why ? May be they are unclean as no other… therapies will need to turn this mentalities.
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malik / June 22, 2016
This is only a little thing man thing.Wait and see what will happen when God get on his hands.Then nobody can stop this.Any one eat to much solt he will drink water.If you do some thing wrong you will get panishment any time any moment.
We all belive in God.He will help us soon or later wait a see my country man.
This is not going to go very long my friend to any one or to any body.
Malik
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Politics -Poli putting the kettle on again / June 22, 2016
Anay Mage than kole patho ,,
what is the real athe ???????
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