Gotabaya denies financial fraud

Former Secretary of the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, today rejected allegations leveled against him, regarding an account in the Thaprobane Branch of the Bank of Ceylon containing nearly Rs 8 billion under his name.

In a press conference yesterday (18), newly appointed Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake claimed that a sum of Rs. 7,500 million was found in the bank account under the name of the former Defence Secretary and that the money has now been transferred to the Treasury. “This is grossly misleading and appears to discredit my reputation with ulterior motive,” Rajapaksa said, in a statement released to media. He stated that there is an Operational Account held with the Bank of Ceylon Thapprobane Branch dedicated for the use of financing the construction of Army Headquarters building at Pelawatta. He alleged that the account was created with the approval of the Cabinet from the revenue from the sale of land at Galle Face, Colombo where the Army Headquarters was previously located.