28 March, 2024

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Rāvaya Backtracks, Starts Paying Back Swindled Contributors

Expecting to come to a settlement Victor Ivan’s Ravaya has started paying back monies collected from the public, after the newspaper provided false information in many public appeals made by “Ravaya Solidarity” to keep the newspaper afloat, Colombo Telegraph learns.

Victor

Victor

The public appeals made by Ravaya Solidarity at no point intimated that monies collected from the public were to pay Victor Ivan a sum of Rs 20 Million.

Subsequent to these appeals Ravaya collected a whopping sum of Rs 12.7 million out of which Victor Ivan pocketed Rs 5 million.

Although supporters were told that they would receive shares for their pledged donations that too never took place.

One such contributor who gave Rs100,000 Nagananda Kodituwakku, was not only not given shares, he was not even given a receipt for his money.

Since Nagananda Kodituwakku’s repeated requests for a receipt was not met he then went to the police, complained to the Registrar of Companies and eventually took his case to the Fraud Bureau of Sri Lanka.

Speaking to Colombo Telegraph Koditiwakku said, Ravaya returned his Rs 100,000 after two years and that too without any interest. He said after he had complained to the Mirihana police about this fraud last July, the Mirihana OIC summoned Victor Ivan and Gamini Viyangoda to the police station. The OIC then phoned Kodituwakku and asked him if he would wish to drop the charges if his monies were returned.

“I said, this a fraud, this is not only about my money. I will not stop this fight until justice is served and peoples’ monies are returned.” Kodituwakku told Colombo Telegraph.

“Ivan has no right to claim Rs 20 million from Ravaya. On one hand Ivan has never invested Rs 20 million in Ravaya and on the other is Ravaya is a company limited by guarantee and operating as a not-for-profit organization, much like an NGO. I made a complaint to the registrar of the companies, he asked me to make a complaint to the Fraud Bureau as well, which I did. Yesterday the company registrar informed me that the Ravaya documents are kept under lock and key. When I contacted the company registrar two days ago he said that the investigations are proceeding.” he further said.

Cheque

Colombo Telegraph also actively supported the fund collecting exercise of this project to help keep Ravaya alive. However subsequently it was found that in the public appeals, share issue is not mentioned.

The Colombo Telegraph raised this issue with key members of the Ravaya solidarity group forwarding a question that was raised by a supporter.

Udan Fernando, now a director of Ravaya and Ravaya solidarity then replied by email saying “as I told you when we met, the Articles are not yet finalized. The value of shares needs to be determined. But there will certainly be a share issue. The details can be given soon”.

Meanwhile when Colombo Telegraph contacted Victor Ivan for a comment twice, Ivan angrily said “I have a right to be silent on this matter. You can write whatever you want”

It is reported that Ravaya newspaper to date has to pay Rs.12 million in income taxes.

Until the Presidential Election of 2005, i.e. during the reign of Chandrika Kumaratunga, every month without fail the Ravaya would get a notice from the Department of Inland Revenue, requesting payment of an outstanding amount of Rs 14 million.

When Mahinda Rajapaksa became President, he told Ivan to speak with the Commissioner of Inland Revenue. Ivan sent Lal Piyasena, the late owner of Dai Lanka, to represent him. Piyasena was told that Rs 2 million had to be paid because payment had been promised by Ravaya. The rest, Rs 12 million, was frozen. Financial Accounts of Ravaya related to the period mention this amount under Liabilities (click here to see the financial accounts).

Related posts;

Victor Ivan Pocketed Half Of Rāvaya’s Rs 10 Million Fund

Rāvaya ‘Staff-Shareholders’ Clueless About Ivan’s Rs 5 Million Heist

I Got Just Rs 1000 For My Share, Says Rāvaya Founder Director And Deputy Editor Colambage

Sajin Vass’ Restaurant Tip Same As ‘Hashish’ Ivan’s Salary

Ivan Must Return The Bucks He Took: Supporters Including 73 Year Old Pensioner Demand

Ivan’s Rs 5 Million Heist Goes To Fraud Bureau

Ranil Hits Sixers Off Full-Tosses Bowled By Fraudster

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Latest comments

  • 4
    1

    Most tabloid editors are extortionists.

    We have seen this happening all over the world including UK.

    • 6
      1

      When a fraud is a fraud it should be punished and those fraudsters should be made to pay back and taken to courts and finally the sentence should be meted out by the judiciary.
      UK law is not like the Bananana Republic of Srilanka Law, with the notion of what Victor Ivan did was perfectly OK and no need to be prosecuted is unimaginable.
      What sort of people will support these kind of fraudsters? As we know only the same kind of CROOKS.
      Srilankans should come out of this mentality then only our Srilanka will march forward to be the wonder of Asia or one of the wonders besides The land of Singapore.
      All the other Asian countries are similar to SL where the opportunists are ready to line their pockets while the hospitals , and the Schools suffer in the hands of these kinds of THIEVES.

      Our new Yahapalanaya should keep friends where there’s democracy and law in a country and use the Banana Republics only to do business not otherwise.
      If SL have friends in good places we need not worry and the Corrupted Society of SL will have a chance to learn and turn around SL to be a better place to live for all and not only a paradise for the thieves of Srilanka to live.

    • 7
      3

      Ravaya man is double tongued person. His book writen on CBK putting all the muds was instrumental MR to manipulate the masses.
      But today, to everyones eyes ( every 2 nd of the nation) is becoming clear Rajapakshes were marauders of all times with a verdict on a murder case is to be made public this week. All in all this man Ravaya Editor never uttered a single word against Meeharaka Rajapkashes. Why was that ?
      Man is said to be talking from his other end depending on his advatanges. That is what he did on and on.

      • 5
        2

        Sama,

        it is just orifices of those men are always controlled by perks offered to them by Mahinda Jarapakashe. WIth lot more to come even today, people slowly get this how stupid they have been ..
        What were the talks that MR is said to have done with RW few days ago ? I think the guy is now falling the very same level of the fate of Gadafi family, not being able to cover up anymore.

        Let s wait and see what is going to be next – right at the moment people have more information than had been in MR era ( a year ago). A president is governing, but he is so sobre leaving the cabinet and the PM allow work by their on. All we cant expect within a night but things work towards the progress is becoming clear every hour

        Waiting to get more about the sportlers murder case… i have been waiting …. the day we will hear that Rajapakske illfated offpsrings are involved – the gawky folks would finaly learn the real face of THEM

      • 4
        0

        This we call – where media men whirled the nation s politics.

        It is believed that 3rd force of a country is media. If Medio would stay neutral or make efforts to do so – majority punnakku eating masses would not get misguided.
        We need to impose rules and regulations for journalists in the country. JVPers reveal today that there were journalists that worked for the funds offered by Avangard.
        I also remember even if entire world was against MERVIN DE SILVA and his unethical behaviours, his to have been repeated with the prefix ” Dr ” by the journalists was beyond all ethics and morals.
        Even if rulers or any politicians make every effort to abuse journalists, why cant the journalists themselves act properly ?
        They need to think multiple of times before additing their thoughts to air.
        While living in Germany, I undrestand there are so many areas that ruling german govt would not allow any kind of journalists to pulish within the german soil.
        Like for example, at the time, supergau/nuclear station destroyed masses in Japan recently, nothing related to that were published on GERMAN media. May be Japanese had warned them not to publish anything. That are the commecial links between countries make all barriers. All in all – even so called democracies they impose some sort of censor controlling some unethical news spreads – in srilanka too, they should impose them. Then only, we could expect the nation becoming unbiased or neutral.

    • 1
      0

      Has our VICTOR done enough to earn the title of ‘The Robert Maxwell of Sri Lankan’?

      • 4
        0

        We perfectly know that lanken vote eligible folks are stupid – this became crystal clear by last two elections. So those folks to have read Rawaya for the years have made them even affine to Victor Iwan who never had guts to call a spade a spade in terms of Meeharaka Rajapakshe.

        Did we have any leaders since independence that looted and rooted the nation as MR and thugs have done ?

        No

        Even if this was clear to any 10 year olds, but not to Rawaya editor Victor – what had his guts been hidden during the last few years all unbearable events were at its hight ?

        To be honest, I have no the least respect towards this VICTOR. He paved the way Rajapakshes to loot the nation… media men of the kind should be encouraged to self immolation – then the nation would get better guided.

        Greetings from Rome

  • 1
    0

    ‘Hide and seek’ is the name of the game!

  • 4
    0

    Crooks the Thieves and the Murderers of Srilanka should be brought to justice and punished. That is the fervent wishes of the majority of law abiding citizens of SL.
    Yahapalanaya’s duty is that thEY should not ignore the wishes of the Law abiding citizens and NOT THE OPPOSITE.
    I am sure the majority of Srilankans are law abiding so ” yahapalanaya” why are we waiting?? Are you short of Prison spaces??

    • 1
      0

      At least House Arrest these Culprits – no law I suppose except Emergency Act?

  • 0
    1

    Like the cat who shat on the rock, both Victor Ivan and MR and a host of the other cronies under MR are today being exposed and is rounded up. Like Ravaya, MR will have to first return all what he has stolen as otherwise he will have to face the music of charges on the family on many fronts including the murder of Wasim Thajudeen. Retribution comes slowly but surely. For all those who wondered why the Rajapaksas are not taken to task, wait and see what will happen to the Rajapaksa family.

  • 0
    0

    so for 12 million income tax frozen he looked the otherway while the plunder and pillage went on.He seems to sell his soul for peanuts.

  • 1
    0

    Double game never last longer and this storty proves that one cannot deceive the people all the time

  • 0
    0

    he has to charge something for those missing teeth.Hence the 5 million.

  • 1
    0

    It is strange that the Department of Inland Revenue did not file a case in courts for recovery of the Rs.14 Million – when they have filed cases for recovery of much lesser amounts, from citizens.
    Was there ‘inducement’ not to do so?
    Threat of going to jail usually ensures prompt payment.

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