The hidden truth behind the Carlton Sport Network’s (CSN) money laundering By Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Front, Ven. Ulapone Sumangala Thero

Is this the result of practicing politics of hate or of politics of revenge?

(Lanka-e-News -26.Feb.2016, 10.30) The answer that is required to be sought in this regard in the first place is whether the CSN channel was started in order to fulfill the role of a media organization or for the purposes of money laundering.

The shortest answer that can be given in this regard is something that needs to be asked from the heads of the CSN channel, in that for the past year having spent an investment in excess of Rs 200 million to implement the project, where is the profit and loss/income statement pertaining to this endeavour? What are the rewards afforded to those like Ashan Fernando who invested Rs 5 million, Gadiya Karunajeewa who invested Rs 1 million and Kavishan Dissanayake who invested Rs 1 million, whilst being members of the director board.

What is revealed from the CSN company reports is that they were tycoons who received no profit or economic benefit when compared to the investments they made to the CSN company, and therefore that it could be inferred that they made these investments to contribute to a worthy cause and that their expectations were for the benefit and furthering of sports in Sri Lanka.

Therefore, let us for a moment pay attention to their economic and financial backgrounds.

Ashan Fernando by profession is a doctor. He works as a doctor in the blood bank of the Mannar Hospital. He received his education at St. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, and was in the same class as Yoshitha Rajapaksa, who is a close friend of his. Ashan’s father is Amarapala Fernando, who is an attorney-at-law who does not make court appearances. Amarapala Fernando is a director of the Nachuran Group. Ashan Fernando states that the amount given by his father had been invested in the CSN business.

Kavishan Dissanayake is the brother of one of Yoshitha Rajapaksa’s friends. His stance is that he had invested Rs 1 million after obtaining Rs 250,000 from his mother, Chulanthi Fernando, a loan of Rs 250,000 from his uncle, Channa Wijemanne, and another loan of Rs 500,000 from another one of his uncles, Priyantha Wijemanne. What is surprising is that these individuals had made no attempt to pay back the loans or attempted to obtain annual dividends from the CSN channel.

Read more >>