A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
(Full Story)
Search This Blog
Back to 500BC.
==========================
Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Tuesday, July 25, 2017
Aloysius paid Ravi’s penthouse lease rental: Anika
2017-07-24
Former Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and his family leased out a
penthouse at Monarch Residencies for eight months with the monthly lease
rental Rs.1.45 million being paid by Arjun Aloysius, a key witness
revealed at the PCoI proceedings yesterday.
Testifying at the PCoI, Construction Company Director Anika Wijesuriya
said she had owned a Penthouse at Monarch Residencies in Kollupitiya
which she wanted to rent-out during December, 2015.
Subsequently, in early January, 2016, former finance minister Ravi
Karunanayake and his wife Mela had inquired from the witness' brother
about renting the apartment. Later the witness contacted Ms.
Karunanayake and carried out initial negotiations about renting the
apartment.
It was revealed that the Karunanayake family was looking for an
apartment to stay during the renovations being carried out at their
residence in Rajamalwatte, Kotte.
Ms. Wijesuriya had later asked Ms. Karunanayake to visit the apartment
to examine it. It was revealed that during the examination Perpetual
Treasuries Ltd. owner Arjun Aloysius had also arrived at the apartment
and had assured the witness that he would lease out the apartment.
Ms. Wijesuriya said she was aware at the time that Mr. Aloysius would be
the lessor while the Karunanayake family occupied the apartment.
The witness also explained that she developed a friendship with Mr. Aloysius and his wife before the lease agreement was signed.
When questioned by the PCoI, the witness said the apartment was leased at a monthly rental of Rs.1.45 million.
The lease agreement amounted to Rs.7.3 million while an additional Rs.1.4 million was paid to the witness by cash.
Ms. Wijesuriya said she entered into a lease agreement with the Company
called Walt and Row Pvt Ltd, to which the Rs.7.3 million was transferred
by the Perpetual Capital Holdings Pvt Ltd, to be paid to her.
The witness confirmed that the Karunanayake family occupied the penthouse.
In July, 2016, there was news published on websites regarding the
incident highlighting the Karunanayake family occupying an apartment,
with the rental paid by Mr. Aloysius.
In the wake of media reports, the witness revealed that Mr. Aloysius had asked her to destroy the lease agreement.
“He said he destroyed his copy of the lease agreement and asked me to do
the same, but I was confused with the request because the documentation
would generally be available at the public records room and did not do
what he asked me to do,” the witness said.
She said she also contacted Ms. Karunanayake afterwards and talked about
the media reports and their negative impact on her as the owner of the
apartment.
The witness said she had asked Ms. Karunanayake to either purchase the apartment or vacate it considering the circumstances.
However, the witness said she allowed the Karunanayake family to occupy
the apartment for another two months allocating the refundable deposited
money into it because the renovations of their residence were not
concluded.
Then the witness had called Mr. Aloysius and informed about the extension of the lease agreement.
The witness said the Karunanayake family later conveyed their
willingness verbally to buy the apartment and settled on a price of
Rs.165 million.
She said a Company known as Global Transportation and Logistics Pvt Ltd,
in which Ms. Karunanayake and her daughter Onella were directors,
purchased the apartment in September 2016.
When questioned by DSG Yasantha Kodagoda who led the evidence in chief,
the witness revealed that Ravi Karunanayake had phoned her father last
Saturday prior to testifying at the PCoI.
President’s counsel Kalinga Indatissa also crossexamined the witness. (Shehan Chamika Silva)