Chinese kickback money in account of Basil’s wife

From SL Mirror

A Chinese company that has obtained a contract to build part of the Colombo port city project has deposited 150,000 dollars to an account owned by a foundation to the name of the wife of former minister Basil Rajapaksa, it has been revealed.

Colombo International Container Terminal deposited the money in the account to the name of Pushpa Rajapaksa, MPs Ajith Mannapperuma and Nalin Bandara told the media in Colombo today (25).

The account belongs to a foundation claimed to be a charity and formed on 24 November 2010, and its money is being used by the account holders, the FCID has found out.

The MPs also said the SMIB bank too, had given Rs. 1.5 million to this foundation during the last presidential election.

Politicians of the previous regime had set up such foundations in order to justify and coverup their frauds and corruption, they charged.

People did not enjoy dividends of the major projects, which had all be carried out outside tender procedures, said MP Mannapperuma.

Only a certain class benefitted, while the general public still has to repay for these irregularities, he said.

The controversial Helping Hambantota incident is also another case in point, they added.