Grandma Daisy too, starts defaulting loans!

Aug 27, 2016

Daisy Forrest alias Punchi Achchi, the most popular grandmother in Sri Lanka these days, has learnt from her grandsons and has made it a habit to defaut on loans, say police fraud detection bureau sources.

Punchi Achchi has not repaid a loan she had obtained from Polee Palitha of Borella. During the Rajapaksa regime, she had obtained Rs. 30 million from him, saying she needed the money to buy a land. She had been paying the interest on time, but not any more. When Polee Palitha inquired why, she said, “Because of the FCID men, none of the land could be sold.”

An investigation revealed that the FCID has blocked the sale of any of the properties owned by her. A few days ago, Punchi Achchi was issued with a court summons.

When questioned about a sum of Rs. 21 million she had in her possession, she told the FCID, “A Muslim Mudalali known to me came and gave me a parcel of gems, and another person came, gave the money and took the parcel of gems away.”

Then the FCID asked her if the money was in Rs. 2,000 or Rs. 5,000 notes. She replied all the notes were Rs. 5,000 ones. The FCID pointed out to her that at that time, no Rs. 5,000 notes had been in circulation. To escape from her lie, Punchi Achchi said, “I am too old to separately identify Rs. 5,000 and Rs. 2,000 notes.”

The FCID says Punchi Achchi and her grandson Yoshitha Rajapaksa had seen each other for the first time only at the FCID. Born in 1923, she is 93 years of age, and her Rajapaksa grandsons have given her personal security. Also, in return for going to police stations and giving statements on their behalf, Rajapaksa grandsons are reportedly giving her favourite ‘Remy Martin’ brandy one bottle after the other.