Asanga appointed to CSE board

Sunday, 23 June 2013

Businessman Asanga Seneviratne has been appointed to the board of the Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE).

Seneviratne was the rugby coach of the young Rajapaksa sons and the Rajapaksas also used him to purchase majority shares of Leader Publications Pvt Limited that prints The Sunday Leader and Irudina newspapers.

Seneviratne recently launched an IPO for his hotel chain, Anilana and the chief guest at the launch was Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal. It was Cabraal who had helped Seneviratne secure funds for his projects.

As a token of gratitude, Seneviratne ensured that The Sunday Leader newspaper published an apology to Cabraal for the explosive exposes published in the newspaper by the late Lasantha Wickrematunge on Cabraal’s and his racketeer friend Anura Fernando’s involvement in the controversial pyramid and Gold Quest scheme.

Meanwhile, Seneviratne is also looking at selling his shares in Nation Lanka Finance Limited.

Access gives Namal Rs. 50 million for Carlton 7s

Sunday, 23 June 2013 

Sumal Perera’s Access Group of Companies has given Rs. 50 million to MP Namal Rajapaksa for the Carlton Rugby 7s organized by him.

When Namal had made a request for Rs. 50 million from Perera’s Access Company, directives were issued to Access International to make the payment.

However, Access International had informed Perera that they could not provide the entire Rs. 50 million but could give Rs. 25 million.

Perera had then asked Access International to pay Rs. 25 million and that he would pay the remaining Rs. 25 million from his funds.

According to Perera, providing Namal with Rs. 50 million would help him secure many development projects around the country.

Meanwhile, key businessmen have taken sponsorship of rugby teams that would be participating in the event.

Namal and the Rajapaksa sons are currently engaged in organizing the Carlton Rugby 7s. The matches are to commence end of this month and are to be played in Nuwara Eliya, Galle and Colombo.