The Minister of Finance, Ravi Karunanayake, has initiated an inquiry into the importation of high-value vehicles for tsunami relief and subsequently given to third parties without paying due taxes and depriving the state of billions of rupees, the Ministry of Finance said today.
Former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa
Issuing a statement the Ministry said; “This was brought to light when a vehicle imported for a UN agency to carry out tsunami relief work in 2005 was involved in an accident on June 10, 2015 in Tangalla. The vehicle had been used illegally, violating Sri Lankan laws.
“The Minister has also directed the Customs chief to cause an internal investigation to find out if there had been any lapses on the part of the Sri Lanka customs in allowing the UN agency to transfer the possession of vehicles imported duty free into the country and not taking action for over three years to recover taxes due to the state.
“The Director general has been asked to find out how many such vehicles had been imported on duty free basis to carry out emergency relief operations, but have ended up in private hands depriving the state of due revenue.
“It is believed that hundreds of vehicles had been imported duty free and most of them have disappeared and efforts will be made to trace them and recover the revenue that is due to the state.
“The Minister has also directed the Customs chief to cause an international investigation to find out if there had been any lapses on the part of the Sri Lanka customs in allowing the UN agency to transfer the possession of vehicles imported duty free into the country and not taking action for over three years to recover taxes due to the state.
“The vehicle which met with an accident while being driven by a member of the former president’s security detail has been given to Siriliya Saviya Foundation (SSF) of former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. Police investigations have revealed that the WFP had ‘gifted’ this vehicle and another to the SSF.
“The legality of this ‘gift’ is also to be investigated with the help of the relevant agencies. Sri Lanka Customs will also work closely with the police who are having a separate investigation.”
Srinath / July 8, 2015
Why does not he investigate himself?
Another election mada attack
What happened to the big Seylan bank account fraud?
I will not vote for this guy for 7 generation for how he tried to sabatage the war effort by ridiculing it.
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Native Vedda / July 8, 2015
Srinath
“Why does not he investigate himself?”
MR was sitting on his f(p)iles. Why didn’t he investigate Ravi or himself?
“I will not vote for this guy for 7 generation for how he tried to sabatage the war effort by ridiculing it.”
Stupids go to war or create a conditions in which war is unavoidable.
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gamini / July 8, 2015
Ask yourself that if RK was corrupt as you claim, why MR did not deal with him for almost ten years? Another Chinthanaya idiot!
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Upali Wijewardene / July 9, 2015
Investigate his BIL’s role at the insurance corp. The [Edited out] wants young birds to be by his side all the time.
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sama / July 9, 2015
All these are not mada attack but the realities – idiots like you would never see it right.
Now I am on a visit in srilanka. I have spoken to various kinds of personalities. Most like Rajapakshe to stay away from active politics. They believe then only, people would respect him further.
But the guys of your kind who would see that high ways or the like projects were made reality only by Rajapakshe s magical power… not thinking that Kenya and Tansania or the like countries also have chinese built highways today. I wonder why the ilk of your sort see it similar to the manner gawky rural folks of the nation. Rural folks would never see it right because they were fed with only Rajapkshes recites. Media henchmen sowed it as years would take those gawky folks to sense the realities.
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K.A Sumanasekera / July 8, 2015
Oh Boy…
Galleon Ravi has even taken the UN to task, to give us Yahapalanya.
Will he be able to find something substantial to lock up Rajapaksa before the 13Th..
Because his Bosse’s F…..CID has failed miserably even after interrogating the ex First Lady..
Wonder whether those Tsunami Funds in Kirullapone Bank have been donated to a Charity associated with the UNP?….
Also Galleon should disclose how the Krish group got the okay to build without paying the last instalment of the deposit?..
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Native Vedda / July 8, 2015
K.A Sumanasekera
Here is something you ought to know but you ignored. What did Maithiri say about your Hora family? Read and learn:
[Edited out]
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Native Vedda / July 9, 2015
CT
I am sorry for lifting a story from Ceylon Today by Upul Joseph Fernando and pasting it in my previous comment.
I know Ceylon Today does not allow reproducing its stories on other websites.
I am really sorry again.
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K.A Sumanasekera / July 9, 2015
Dear Vellala Native,
You may think My3’s turd doesn’t smell.. But I don’t..
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Native Vedda / July 9, 2015
K.A Sumanasekera
“You may think My3’s turd doesn’t smell.. But I don’t.. “
How would I know? You should know.
As for the smell My3 was with him for many years while you have been the official carrier of MR’s whatever it is.
Dayan should know the nuances between different foreign bodies regularly expelled by natural causes. As you know he has been studying foreign body politics for many years.
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Shamil / July 8, 2015
Mm thats why my3 is to give nomination to the thug MR and make a way for PM. How can a President who is elected by UNP vote base can select a person to SLFP. Aney deiyane! only in sl.
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maali karunaratne / July 8, 2015
Rvi K
We all know that the customs, AG’s Department etc works. You will make a noise and nothing will come out of this investigation. We all know how they misused not only vehicles but the whole country, but you are unable to push this further. You all are talkers and not doers. Lets wait and see whether you will do this even now.
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len / July 8, 2015
Pig’s will fly before anyone will ever get prosecuted. Just write it down as a another probe by Aliens. Someone should erect a big screen at the BIA arrivals so the people entering the country can see the number of Corruption Probes and Inquires that been initiated by the new regime in real time. And one at the departure’s to show number that been successfully completed, no need for large screen because it’ll look so embarrassing ZERO scrolling across it.
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renu / July 8, 2015
These vehicles were used by her as we have seen them parked near Carlton Pre School at Mt-Lavinia when she visits on Tuesdays during her hay days
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Rohan / July 8, 2015
I can’t believe this!! This was a doctored picture!!! First Lady never knew how to hold an umbrella. Where are the servants???
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Native Vedda / July 8, 2015
Rohan
“Where are the servants???”
Are you looking for ela kolla, baludeen, bla bla blAbhaya, K.A Sumanasekera, lal loo, Karuna, ……. Srinath, Nirmalam, Patriot, Raghavan, …..Malinda Seneviratne, Dayan, Weerawansa, Dhinesh, … HLD Mahindapala, …… kama ?
Sorry they are too busy carrying MR’s clanging b***s.
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Patriot / July 8, 2015
Karupaiya after bribing his way out of the Gallion Court Case has started his verbal diarrhea. He pocketed the money allocated to build the Army Head Quarters giving a puny excuse. This guy is a shame to our Armed Forces.
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Harry Hatton / July 8, 2015
We are informed that Ravi is a [Edited out]
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Tea Cut / July 8, 2015
The vehicles went about with garage number plates. Where are they now?
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Pygmalion / July 8, 2015
Rohan.
When a servant becomes a First Lady,that person can hold an Umbrella with ease.
Its all about experience!
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Manel / July 8, 2015
How can other nations help in our time of need, when our politicians display their greed by grabbing what should be given to the people of this country, when they are suffering? We have lost their trust and they will be reluctant to help this country in an emergency. Why are our politicians letting this country down by filling their pockets and needs first? Do we have any left that are honest and puts the needs of the Sri Lankan people first?
Whether it is the the previous regime, present one, or the future, our politicians are a disgusting, selfish lot, they only think of the people when they need their votes, after that they become leeches feeding off the country.
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Jim softy / July 8, 2015
RaviK’s aquittal and the Sudden retirement of the Judge presided over that case itself is a Scandal. But, the FCID running under Ranil will never find fault anything about that.
IT is another corruption scandal by Ranil’s Yahapalana govt.
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maalumiris / July 8, 2015
@Jim softy
You are absolutely right. The FCID is Ranils creation, his plaything and it does only what HE tells it to do. So RW dictates who is / is not to be investigated or charged and what is / is not to be ignored
It’s a farce !
Only problem is, next time the administration changes hands, RW and many others should brace thenselves to be the target of whatever is created to replace the FCID.
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Native Vedda / July 8, 2015
maalumiris
“It’s a farce !”
Is it similar to Wimal Weerawansa’s farce unto death?
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maalumiris / July 9, 2015
Absolutely.. Now THAT was also a comedy worth watching also ! The outcome was IMO, quite predictable when so much fanfare was given to WW’s “Fast Unto Death”
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gamini / July 8, 2015
Jim Softy,
If there was even a fragment of evidence against RK, MR would have had him behind bars during his time. The fact that there was nothing against RK, yet they kept the case going on to harass him. Catch MR for almost ten years had this false case going, if he could have pinned RK? So naturally Justice was delivered under Yahapalanaya and you buggers can not stomach the truth. Simple as that?
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maalumiris / July 9, 2015
@gamini
You said ” Justice was delivered under Yahapalanaya”. IMO, not much justice has been delivered to anyone so far. A million rumors abound about MR and Family amounting to billions of rupees. Yet NOTHING has happened. Where is this “Yahapalana Justice” in this case ?
No, it’s not that we cannot stomache the “Justice”,.. it’s simply that Yahapalana Justice is exactly the same as Mahinda Chinthana Justice. Selective, Directed by a few against their pet hates and by no means blind.
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dcn / July 8, 2015
Absolutely correct to investigate the whole deal about these vehicles. What is given to the government is not for the benefits of family and their cronies. These vehicles should have been assigned to some government department or agency. If not required by the government these could have been sold to the public by public auction.
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paul / July 8, 2015
Set a thief to catch a thief.
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Douglas / July 9, 2015
I agree with what Gamini said. What was MR & Cabral doing with this case for 10 years. I saw what Rk said in reply to Bandula Gunawardane at the televised debate. He said those funds were never deposited in his name and simply deposited in a Bank and Cabral was the person who mislead the President and filed a case. Banduala Gunawardane instead of meeting this information continued to state that the case was thrown out because of a “technical error” of a date mentioned in the plaint. So who is correct? That was an opportunity missed, who knows, (it could have been purposely avoided) “if” Bandula Gunawardene wanted to contest RK. However that debate was a waste of time.
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Lion / July 9, 2015
This corrupt women terrorize people in Nugegoda every week when she came to premadasa hose riding school.She should be put behind bars with the whole family including sex pervert brother who ruined Airlanka.
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Rabok / July 11, 2015
Ravi – [Edited out]
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