Poser on true declared values versus 43 MPs paid Rs. 1.224 b for damaged properties post-Aragalaya

Anti-Government demonstrators set fire to a house owned by Minister Sanath Nishantha in May 2022

By Nirmala Kannangara

Following the revelation how much compensation Members of Parliament in the previous regime have obtained for their destroyed movable and immovable properties during the ‘Aragalaya’, questions have been raised whether they have declared the true values of their properties when submitting assets and liabilities at the time they contested the 2020 General Election.

As per the official details obtained from the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government, it is shocking to note how 43 so called people’s representatives have collectively claimed to the tune of Rs. 1.224 billion for their damaged movable and immovable properties.

Following the violence that erupted during the Aragalaya people’s protest, Ranil Wickremasinghe Government had paid compensation amounting to Rs. 1.060 billion for 41 MPs for their immovable properties, Rs. 149.649 million for 32 MPs for the movable properties and Rs. 13.78 million for an MP for her damaged vehicle.

“It is up to the Inland Revenue Department (IRD) to check whether these MPs have declared assets and liabilities to the State as looking at how much they have claimed for the destroyed assets, they are liable to pay income taxes to the Government. It has to find out how these MPs have earned this wealth- whether these are inherited properties, earned through hard work or made by illegal means,” a higher official at the Ministry of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government said.  

Commissioner General of Inland Revenue R.P.H. Fernando, when contacted to find out whether all these MPs have submitted their tax returns, said that the IRD is very vigilant of their return submissions.

“Since this matter came to our notice, we appointed a special group to take measures to get all former and present MPs registered and are constantly checking on them and very vigilant of their return submissions. We are also constantly checking on the other parties as well who are liable to pay taxes,” Fernando said. 

Following 2022 people’s protest and the murder of Polonnaruwa district MP, Amarakeerthi Athukorale, the then Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena has presented a Cabinet paper (No: 08/0410/330/001-I) as the Minister in charge of Public Administration, Home Affairs, Provincial Councils and Local Government on October 14, 2022, seeking cabinet approval to revise the compensation paid for the dependents of MPs who are killed due to terrorist attacks or due to any other accident. 

The Cabinet decision (No: 08/1883/330/001-II) dated October 26, 2022, has granted approval to double the amount paid -from Rs. 5 million to Rs. 10 million, applying the revised compensation to Amarakeerthi Athukorale’s dependents as well although he was murdered in Nittambuwa prior to this cabinet decision.

 This newspaper is in possession of copies of official documents that shows how much each of these 43 MPs have been compensated for their movable and immovable damaged assets, although some of them still say that they neither claim nor obtained compensation from the Government.

The highest compensation has been paid to Keheliya Rambukwella which was Rs. 95.88 million followed by Johnston Fernando Rs. 93.357 million.

Meanwhile, Rs. 74.849 million has been paid to Gamini Lokuge while Mohommed Ali Sabri has obtained Rs. 70.918 million for his damaged assets.

Nimal Lanza has been paid Rs. 69.194 million while Mohan P. de Silva has obtained Rs. 60.069 million.

Kokila Gunawardena has been paid Rs. 58.681 million, Prasanna Ranatunge has obtained Rs. 56.115 million for his damaged properties while Sumith Udukumbura has been paid Rs. 55.943 million, Arundika Fernando Rs. 55.210 million and Siripala Gamlath Rs. 50. 943 million.

S. M. Chandrasena has obtained Rs. 43.787 million as compensation while Sanath Nishantha Rs. 42.730 million.

Meanwhile, Shantha Bandara has obtained Rs. 39.128 million, W.D. Weerasinghe Rs. 37.190 million, Prasnna Ranaweera has been paid Rs. 32.720 million and H.M.D.B. Herath Rs.32.104 million.

Former MP, Ramesh Pathirana has been paid Rs. 28.116 million while Kanaka Herath has been compensated Rs. 29.173 million for his moveable and immovable assets, while Duminda Dissanayake has been paid Rs. 28.808 million for his movable and immovable properties and Milan Jayathilake Rs. 22.299 million for his immovable and movable properties.

Samanpriya Herath Rs. 10.525 million, Shehan Semasinghe Rs. 18.515 million, Indika Anuruddha Rs.19.549 million, Sahan Pradeep Vithana Rs. 17.136 million, Rohitha Abeygunawardena Rs. 11.644 million, Janaka Bandara Tennakoon Rs. 10.550 million and Seetha Arambepola Rs. 13.780 million for her vehicle.

Meanwhile, Ashoka Priyantha Rs. 7.295 million, Chamal Rajapaksa Rs. 6.539 million, Priyankara Jayaratne Rs. 2.348 million, Gunapala Rathnasekera Rs. 1.412 million, Akila Saliya Ellawala Rs. 3.554 million, Kapila Nuwan Athukorala Rs. 504, 000 former MP , Tissa Kuttiarachchi Rs. 1.143 million, Premanath C. Dolawatte Rs. 2.3 million, K.G. Jayantha Perera Rs. 2.814 million, Geetha Kumarasinghe Rs. 972, 000 former MP Chandima Weerakkody Rs. 6.948 million, Wimal Weerawansa Rs. 2.954 million, Wimalaweera Dissanayake Rs. 550, 000 and K.A. Chaminda Sampath Rs. 2.540 million and Channa Jayasumana Rs. 3.334 million.  

Meanwhile questions have been raised as to why some of the MPs claimed and got compensation for two or more houses by claiming they were living in all these houses and were damaged during the ‘Aragalaya’.

“If an MP claimed that he was residing in five properties, is it possible to pay compensation for all these properties? The methodology the then regime has followed is wrong. They have allowed the MPs to claim compensation for many residential properties which have to be investigated by the present Government,” sources alleged.  

Out of Rs. 7.295 million paid to former MP Ashoka Priyantha, Rs. 1.563 million had been paid to a house owned by his wife claiming he was living in that property and the same time yet another Rs.428, 500 to his own house claiming he was living in it as well.

It was the same with former MP Nimal Lansa.  Out of the total amount of Rs.69.194 million received as compensation, Rs.50.888 million has been paid for the damages caused for his own house claiming he was living there and at the same time yet another Rs.18.306 million for his old house.

The damaged property of Indika Anuruddha where he was living has been compensated Rs.203, 000 and Rs.12.610 million for the house owned by his wife claiming he was living there too.

Meanwhile, 15 MPs or their kith and kin who have claimed compensation for their business properties have been denied compensation either because they have already obtained compensation from their insurance or for not submitting the necessary documents to prove their ownership.

Amongst them are the former President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a property at No: 96, Mahawela Road, Tangalle, Johnston Zavier Fernando alias Johnston Fernando for his properties – PMD Agri Services, Wild Life Road, Matale, Sinha Wine Stores, No: 21, Pola Road, Mawathagama, City Hotel, Colombo 2, No: 58 Perakumba Street, Kurunegala, No: 164/22, De Mel Lane, Koralawella, Havi Restaurant, No: 743/57, New Kandy Road, Thalahena, Battaramulla and Perakumba Weediya, Kurunegala.

Meanwhile Johan Stanislos Fernando – son of Johnston Fernando too has claimed for two properties but has failed to obtain compensation. These two properties are- Lakmali Restaurant, Colombo Road, Madurankuliya and Puttalam Road, Withikuliya. 

Alleged to be a family member of former Minister Johnston Fernando, Morin Patricia Fernando too has claimed compensation for two properties but has failed her attempt. The two properties are situated at – No: 58, Perakumba Weediya, Kurunegala and Rosewood Watta, Rathkarauwa, Maspotha. 

Meanwhile, three more parties were denied any compensation. They are former MP K.A.S. Fernando for a property at Paramitha Mawatha, Malkaduwawa, Circular Road, Kurunegala, Anton Reynold Sebastian, No: 213/1B, Pahalawela Road, 18th Lane, Battaramulla and Mohommed Farook Anfaas, No: 26/1, Lilly Road, Colombo 2.   

The Office for Reparations meanwhile has refused to pay compensation for moveable properties of 13 MPs.

They are; Tissa Kuttiaratchi, Wimalaweera Dissanayake, Nalaka Godahewa, Prasanna Ranaweera, Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Keheliya Rambukwella, Priyangani Wickremasinghe, Tharaka Balasuriya, Johnston Fernando and Amal Chinthaka Mayadunne. Seetha Arambepola has not obtained the claim she has made as she has been compensated by the insurance company for the damaged movable properties.

Meanwhile, Shehan Semasinghe has been compensated Rs. 5.9 million for his damaged/destroyed moveable properties while Rs. 3.33 million for Channa Jayasumana, Rs. 4.66 million for Duminda Dissanayake, Rs. 1.96 million for Jayantha Ketagoda, Rs. 1.45 for Premanath C. Dolawatte, Rs. 17.44 million for Gamini Lokuge, Rs. 1.7 million for Ramesh Pathirana, Rs. 1.63 million for Chandima Weerakkody, Rs. 179, 000 for Geetha Kumarasinghe, Rs. 1.38 million for Chaminda Sampath Athukorala, Rs. 5.31 million for Mohan de Silva, Rs. 1.89 million for Sahan Pradeep, Rs. 5.63 million for  Indika Anuruddha, Kokila Gunawardena has been paid Rs. 5.56 million, Milan Jayathilaka has obtained Rs. 3. 77 million, Rs. 7.6 million for Prasanna Ranatunge and Sumith Weerasinghe has been paid Rs. 2.98 million.