Wimal's house sales probe... Court calls full report

Wimal's house sales probe... Court calls full report

By Ishara Rathnakara-2015-05-08

Additional Magistrate of Colombo Nishantha Peiris ordered the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) yesterday (7) to conduct an extensive investigation into former Minister of Housing, Engineering Services and Common Amenities, Wimal Weerawansa illegally selling houses of the Haritha Kedella Housing Schemes in Mattegoda and Kahatuduwa worth more than Rs 10 million each to five of his close relatives.

The Police informed the Court that in allocating houses to his closest relations, in the Mattegoda and Kahatuduwa Housing Schemes, former minister Wimal Weerawansa has illegally sold a house worth Rs. 14,544,546 to Waadachcharige Hemasiri, a house worth Rs. 9,434,187 to Palleperuma Gamage Ananda Priyadharshana, a house worth Rs. 11,374,689 to Hewa Geeganage Wathsala Kumarasinghe, a house valued at Rs. 10, 361,698 to Vilane Gedera Vasantha Rupasinghe and a house valued at Rs. 12, 154,229 to Isuru Tharangamala Muthu Ranaweera.

Police who informed Court that five of the six houses in the two named housing projects had been sold to close relations of former Minister Wimal Weerawansa, also said that one house had been given to Priyantha Milinda Ratnayake who serves in the Presidential Media Unit.

A complaint made by Poorna Chandana Silva, the Chairman of the Ocean Beach Development Company Private Limited [in which the National Housing Development Authority and the Urban Development Authority have complete share ownership], to the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) of Colombo on 22 April, was submitted to Court. This complaint was in connection with financial irregularities alleged to have occurred in the two housing schemes at Mattegoda and Kahatuduwa which was implemented by the above mentioned company and also another financial irregularity alleged to have taken place when the restaurant of the relevant company in its main building had been leased out.

The FCID Colombo told Court that investigations had been launched in connection with this incident and misuse of government property.
The Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris instructed Police to conduct an extensive investigation into this incident and to report to Court the progress of these investigations on 4 June .