GK Depositors Association Chief challenges Finance Minister

• Denies all allegations made by Minister Karunanayake
• Calls for proper statement which would be recorded in Court minutes
• Alleges secret meetings being held by selected groups

By Charumini de Silva

Golden Key Depositors Association President Dushanthi Hapugoda yesterday challenged Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake to prove allegations of her misusing the assets of Golden Key and trying to sabotage the resettlement plan.

“The Minister has alleged that I am sabotaging and misusing the assets of the company. I would like to humbly inform the Minister that I have no objection in bringing this issue to a settlement, which I have been supporting for the past seven years,” she told the Daily FT.

She explained that she was the only Director who went after all the assets of Lalith Kotelawela and Golden Key Directors during the last two years in order to bring justice to all the depositors.

Hapugoda denied all allegations by the Finance Minister that she was running a hotel. “The hotel is run by the Golden Key Credit Card Company and all its earnings have been credited to the Golden Key Credit Card Company account. The Minister could access all the details of the accounts and see for himself,” she added.

Hapugoda called on the Minister to present the receipts he claims to have as proof in this regard.

“The Minister has a political grudge with me and I cannot help that. Being a depositor myself, why would I sabotage the repayment plan? I also fought for seven long years to obtain the funds that these crooks (Lalith Kotelawela and Golden Key Directors) looted from us. I must make it clear to everyone that I have no objection in bringing this to a settlement and I would fully support it.”

She requested the Minister not to make any statements to the effect that he would be paying depositors on particular dates, which misguide innocent depositors, when the case is yet to be heard on 4 June with the new settlement plan.

Hapugoda suggested that the Minister make a proper comment on the repayment plan in the Supreme Court, which would then be recorded in the Court minutes.

Relating a recent news article where the Minister had stated he would bring forward the Golden Key Court hearing, she said: “How can the Minister just do that when we are the ones who have filed petitions before the Court? If he is to do that, it has to be conveyed to us.” 

Hapugoda also charged that Karunanayake had held a secret meeting with 25 to 30 depositors, whom she termed as Kotelawela supporters, at his Ministry on Tuesday 26 June without inviting the two main associations or the petitioners, which she said was highly unprofessional and unethical.

Hapugoda also said that although she had tried calling the Minister many times yesterday, he had not responded to any of her calls and she was compelled to speak to the media and present her side of the story.

“I strongly deny all the allegations the Minister has made against me and I challenge him to prove if I have tried to even take one single cent in an inappropriate manner. We cannot just withdraw our cases as the Minister is asking us to do without any written consent. If we do that, the seven years of torture we went through will be in vain and ultimately we will have no case and no money as well,” she pointed.