Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on Sunday (19) dismissed allegations that him, his wife or sons of maintaining any illegal or secret offshore accounts in foreign banks.

Issuing a statement he said, “Prominent members of the government have been spreading rumours about billions of Dollars stashed abroad in secret offshore accounts by me, my wife and sons.

The allegation is refreshed from time to time through strategically placed media reports about American and Indian financial intelligence bodies joining in the search and special teams being sent to the Seychelles to look for the hidden money. Some weeks ago, the cabinet spokesman had told Reuters that a member of a ‘leading family’ had $1064 million in a secret account in Dubai. Recently, a government VVIP had even told a group of parliamentarians about these supposed secret bank accounts in order to prejudice them against me. 

This unfounded allegation is being used as a convenient tool by my political opponents. Those familiar with the world of high finance will know that in this era of heightened surveillance due to concerns over money laundering and terrorist funding, accounts with millions of Dollars cannot be operated without attracting the attention of international regulatory authorities. If any such accounts existed, it is certainly not going to take this long to reveal their details. 

The public should note that these rumours are being spread by the same individuals who said that helicopters had been purchased for the use of my sons and that horses had been bought for them from ‘Buckingham palace in America’. I would like to categorically state for the information of the public that neither I, my wife nor my sons maintain any illegal or secret offshore accounts in any foreign bank.”