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Friday, 20 March 2015 00:42 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Govt. decides to appoint Presidential Task Force to probe and recover illegally acquired wealth
3 accounts in Dubai bank connected to one family under immediate probe

By Jayashika Padmasiri The Government yesterday said that a special Presidential taskforce would be established to recover State assets and investigate three accounts in the Dubai National Bank belonging to one well-known family. Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne said that the Cabinet would investigate, trace, seize and transfer State assets and revenue to the Treasury which were due to the Government but had been illegally or unlawfully acquired and were now being concealed or kept outside Sri Lankan territory. “We have received information claiming that three accounts connected to one family are in a Dubai bank and that in those accounts the accountholders have stored a large amount of money that has been robbed from the country. This taskforce will operate with foreign assistance from America and India and look into money laundering,” he said. Senaratne added that one accountholder at the Dubai bank was a Sri Lankan Parliamentarian from a well-known family, while another also belonged to a member from the same family. A third account is alleged to be jointly held by a Parliamentarian from the same family and a Secretary known for corruption. “In one of these accounts there is $ 1.064 billion and the accountholder has withdrawn $ 600 million from it soon after the presidential election. In the MPs’ account there is $ 500 million and then in the joint account between the Secretary and the Parliamentarian there is another $ 500 million. However, $ 200 million has been withdrawn from this particular joint account,” Senaratne revealed.