The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption today filed action against MP Sajin de Vass Gunawardena under section 9 of the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Law No. 1 on 1975.
Sri Lanka’s anti-corruption body has so far barred the Parliamentarian and former central bank governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal from leaving the country because of corruption complaints.
On January 22, the Bribery Commission issued a directive to the Department of Immigration and Emigration (DIE) to seize the passports of Mr Gunawardena and that of Mr Cabraal.
This came after the The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) lodged a complaint with the Bribery Commission against 12 former governmental members including former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
Both have rejected allegations they misused public funds.
Cabinet spokesman Rajitha Senaratne yesterday said investigators have located more than $US2 billion ($2.6 billion) that was secretly transferred to accounts in Dubai by figures close to the previous administration.
“We have information that more than $US10 billion, more than our country’s foreign reserves, is kept outside the country by those closely related to the last government,” he said.
President Maithripala Sirisena, who defeated Mr Rajapaksa in a January election, has ordered an investigation into all financial deals sealed by his predecessor. Mr Rajapaksa and his former government officials have rejected allegations of corruption and nepotism and said they are ready to face any investigation.
Describing the accounts found in Dubai, Mr Senaratne said: “One person from a leading family held $1.064 billion. Another account under a parliament member’s name had over $500 million and a secretary to a very important person had over $500 million jointly with another person, who is very famous for corruption.”
Mr Senaratne did not say who held the accounts, as the probe is still under way. He said it had also identified large withdrawals, including one of $600 million, from accounts belonging to people who had worked with Rajapaksa’s government.
