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What a motley crew in our August assembly
In 2015, the Yahapalana Government gained power largely on a promise to eradicate corruption and establish good governance. The administration backed multiple investigations against members of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government. Before long, however, it was embroiled in its own scandals. Today, many of those against whom allegations were made and cases opened are back in Parliament. Here are some of the winners from the two main parties who have had brushes with the law.
Premalal Jayasekera
Premalal Jayasekera alias “Choka Malli” was sentenced to death last month for shooting to death a person and critically injuring two others during the 2015 Presidential Election campaign. In August 2015, he contested the general election from prison and topped the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) Ratnapura district list. This week, he was placed second on the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) list with more than 100,000 votes.
Namal Rajapaksa
Namal Rajapaksa faced allegations over ‘Nil Balakaya’, ‘Tharunyata Hetak’ and Carlton Super Sports Club, among others. He was arrested in 2016 over accusations he pocketed Rs 70mn from the US$ 650mn Krrish deal. Namal was remanded and released on bail. Namal and five others were also alleged to have bought shares of a company named Hello Corp and then set up a company, Gowers Corporate Services (Pvt) Ltd, with funds exceeding his MP’s income. The investigation is open. Namal topped the Hambantota district list with nearly 170,000 votes.
Wimal Weerawansa
The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) opened a case related to Mr Weerawansa’s wife, Shashi, acquiring a diplomatic passport using falsified dates of birth and identity cards. It later emerged that he, too, two dates of birth. In October 2015, he was arrested at Bandaranaike International Airport over discrepancies in his passport and released on bail. In January 2017, he was remanded and released on bail over charges of misusing 40 state vehicles of the State Engineering Corporation causing an Rs 91mn loss. Mr Weerawansa is second in the SLPP Colombo district list with over 267,000 votes.
Udaya Gammanpila
Mr Gammanpila is being tried in the Colombo High Court for allegedly misappropriating Rs 20mn while selling the shares of a company named Digital Nominees to businessman Dammika Perera. The transaction reportedly took place using a fraudulent power of attorney. The case is still being heard. Udaya Gammanpila placed third on the SLPP Colombo district list with nearly 140,000 votes.
Patali Champika Ranawaka
Mr Ranawaka is out on bail in connection with a motor accident in Rajagiriya in February 2018. Last month, he was indicted in the Colombo High Court for causing grievous injury to a person by rash and negligent driving. He placed fifth on the Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) Colombo district list with over 65,000 votes.
Nalaka Godahewa
In December 2015, FCID arrested Mr Godahewa, a former Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), on charges of criminal breach of trust and criminal misappropriation. He and three others were indicted in the Colombo High Court under the Public Property Act over the alleged payment of Rs 5mn from SEC to ‘Tharunyata Hetak’. The case continues. Nalaka Godahewa topped the SLPP Gampaha District preferences list with more than 325,000 votes.
Prasanna Ranatunga
Mr Ranatunga and his wife are indicted before the Colombo High Court on a charge of threatening a businessman and conspiring to obtain Rs 63 million from him to carry out reclamation on a land in Meethotamulla, Kolonnawa, and to remove squatters. Mr Ranatunga placed second on the Gampaha district SLPP list with nearly 317,000 votes.
Prasanna Ranaweera
Notorious for flinging chillie water in Parliament, Mr Ranaweera was remandedin 2018 for allegedly assaulting a United National Party (UNP) candidate contesting the local Government election. He was also remanded in 2017 for partaking in a violent protest in Hambantota. He was suspended from Parliamentary sittings after the infamous ruckus. He is 8th on the Gampaha district SLPP list with over 83,000 votes.
Nalin Fernando
A former Sathosa Chairman, Mr Fernando was remanded in connection with alleged misappropriation in 2013 of Rs 5.2mn belonging to the cooperative. He was acquitted of all charges in October 2018. He was also in remand over misuse of Sathosa vehicles for the 2015 Presidential Election campaign. Mr Fernando is 11th on Gampaha district SLPP list with nearly 70,000 votes.
Johnston Fernando
A corruption case was filed against Mr Fernando and two others for allegedly causing an unlawful loss of Rs 40 million to the Government by employing 153 employees of the Cooperative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) for election work from 2010 to 2014. The case continues. Separately, the Kurunegala High Court heard that, during the 2013 Provincial Council polls, Mr Fernando ordered three Lak Sathosa outlets to release Rs 5.2mn worth of goods to support his son’s election bid. He was acquitted in 2018 over, among other issues, contradictory evidence. In January last year, Mr Fernando was acquitted from a case filed against failure to declare assets and liabilities while he was Minister in 2010. Prosecutors failed to prove the charges. Mr Fernando was second on the SLPP Kurunegala district list with nearly 200,000 votes.
Samanpriya Herath
A former Wayamba Provincial Council member, Mr Herath was remanded in 2015 for violating election laws by attempting to hold a meeting with Samurdhi officials during the non-campaigning period. He placed sixth on the SLPP Kurunegala district list with over 66,000 votes.
Rishard Bathiudeen
Mr Bathiudeen last week petitioned the Supreme Court–which dismissed his application–seeking an interim injunction to prevent the CID from arresting him on charges of aiding in the Easter bombings. In 2014, Mr Bathiudeen apologized to the judiciary and Mannar Magistrate after having intimidated him in October 2012. He admitted that his phone was used for abusive phone calls to the Magistrate. Mr Bathiudeen was placed first in the SJB Vanni district list with over 28,000 votes.
S B Dissanayake
In December 2004, Mr Dissanayake was sentenced to two years rigorous imprisonment for contempt of court for a speech he made critical of the judges. He was granted a Presidential pardon in 2006. Mr Dissanayake is third on the SLPP Nuwara Eliya district list with over 66,000 votes.
M Rameshwaran
A former Central Provincial Council Minister, Mr Rameshwaran was arrested in 2017 for allegedly assaulting and causing injuries to supporters of a rival party at a funeral in Maskeliya. He placed fourth on the SLPP Nuwara Eliya district list with nearly 58,000 votes.
Palani Digambaram
In August 2013, Mr Digambaran and two others were charged with attempting to forcefully acquire 12 perches of land and a vehicle from the lawful owner. The case was dropped when compensation was offered. He topped the SJB list in Nuwara Eliya over 83,000 votes.
Mahindananda Aluthgamage
In 2018, Mr Aluthgamage was arrested for allegedly misappropriating over Rs 39 million to buy sports goods, carrom and checker-boards when he was Sports Minister. In 2016, he was remanded over charges of illegally earning wealth (including buying an Rs 27mn house in Colombo 7). A case update is not immediately available. Mr Aluthgamage is second on the Kandy district SLPP list with over 160,000 votes.
Lohan Ratwatte
Mr Ratwatte and his brother were accused of being part of a group that shot to death ten Muslims at Udatalawinna in Kandy in December 2001. The High Court later acquitted them. But five security force personnel, former security guards of Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte, their father, received the death sentence. Mr Ratwatte is third on the Kandy district with nearly 141,000 votes.
Anuradha Jayaratne
A former UPFA Central Provincial Council member, Mr Jayaratne was released on bail in 2015 after being produced on three charges, including carrying out an attack on a New Democratic Front office, firing gunshots and intimidation during the run-up to Presidential Election. He placed fourth on the SLPP Kandy district list with over 140,000 votes.
Thenuka Vidanagamage
In August 2014, Mr Vidanagamge and his brother, an UVA Provincial Council candidate, were arrested over obstructing the activities of a Deputy Elections Commissioner and released on surety bail. He is third on the SLPP Badulla district list with over 68,000 votes.
Chamara Sampath Dassanayake
A former UVA Chief Minister, Mr Dassanayake in 2018 made the Principal of Badulla Tamil Girls’ School to kneel before him and apologise for allegedly ignoring his orders. He surrendered to police after a protests and also resigned from his post till the investigation ended. The Attorney General’s Department refused to appear for him in Court. A case update is not immediately available. He is fourth on the SLPP Badulla district list with over 66,000 votes.
Chaminda Wijesiri
In February last year, Mr Wijesiri, then UNP Badulla district MP, surrendered to court after allegedly assaulting a constable of the Police Narcotics Bureau. He was remanded and released on bail. He is third on the SJB Badulla district list with over 36,000 votes.
Rohitha Abeygunewardena
The Colombo High Court is hearing a case against Mr Abeygunewardena’s alleged unlawful acquisition of assets estimated at Rs 41.1mn. The Bribery Commission filed indictment on two counts, also alleging the former Minister had failed to declare assets from 2004 to 2006. The case continues. Mr Abeynewardena is second on the SLPP Kalutara district list with over 147,000 votes.
Rajitha Senaratne
This year, Mr Senaratne was arrested and remanded for producing a driver at a media briefing before the November 2019 Presidential Election that he claimed had carried out “white van abductions” when President Gotabaya Rajapaksa as Secretary of Defence. He is out on bail. The case continues. Mr Senarathne is second on the SJB Kalutara district list with over 77,000 votes.
Kumara Welgama
The FCID started investigations into claims that Kumara Welgama, while he was Transport Minister, caused losses to the State by awarding spare parts tenders to two private companies. He has filed action in the Supreme Court seeking an order to prevent his arrest. He is second on the SJB Kalutara district list with over 77,000 votes.
Sampath Athukorala
In 2015, Mr Athukorala was remanded for allegedly uploading obscene posts regarding President Maithripala Sirisena on the internet. He was released on bail and arrested again in October 2017 for attempting to forcibly enter the Indian Consulate in Hambantota during a protest. He is second on the SLPP Galle district list over 128,000 votes.
Shan Wijayalal de Silva
A case was filed against the former Chief Minister and two others on charges of violating election laws by distributing leaflets to influence postal voters during the 2015 Presidential Election. He was remanded and released on bail after failing to appear in Court. His is sixth on the SLPP Galle district list with over 67,000 votes.
Hesha Withanage
The Embilipitya Maigstrate last year ordered police to arrest Mr Withanage on a charge of absconding court over misappropriation and property damage. In November 2018, he was arrested for allegedly attacking a UPFA supporter near Temple Trees. He is first on the SJB Ratnapura district list with over 60,000 votes.