Business Standard

Monday, December 23, 2024 | 10:44 AM ISTEN Hindi

Notification Icon
userprofile IconSearch

JVP wants corruption probe against Rajapaksa family

Image

IANS Colombo

A key coalition partner of Sri Lanka's new president has urged the country's graft watchdog to probe former president Mahinda Rajapaksa and his family members.

The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party made the complaint to the Bribery and Corruption Commission demanding that 11 individuals and an institution be investigated for mass scale corruption, Xinhua reported.

Those on the list included Rajapaksa and his two brothers Basil and Gothabaya -- who were the economic development minister and the defence secretary respectively.

The former president's eldest son Namal Rajapaksa, who remains a MP, was also on the list along with sports broadcaster Carlton Sports Network of which he is a director.

 

Other officials include former central bank governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal, who has been accused by the JVP for the loss of $15.5 million in Greek bonds in the global financial crisis.

Sri Lanka's opposition had severely criticized the central bank for investing in what was termed as "junk bonds" of Greece in the aftermath of the euro crisis.

Sri Lanka reportedly invested over 30 million euro in Greek junk bonds April 5, 2011 and lost an estimated $15.5 million, according to newly appointed State Minister of Finance Harsha de Silva.

Cabraal has also been implicated in a series of contracts to hedge a portion of its oil imports beginning in 2007.

Rajapaksa was defeated in last week's presidential election. His former cabinet member Maithripala Sirisena took oath as the new president of Sri Lanka Jan 9.

Don't miss the most important news and views of the day. Get them on our Telegram channel

First Published: Jan 13 2015 | 3:44 PM IST

Explore News