News
Pandora disclosures referred to CID, to be dealt under Money Laundering Act
By Shamindra Ferdinando
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has referred the Pandora Papers disclosure of allegedly hidden wealth of former lawmaker Nirupama Rajapaksha, her husband Thirukumaran Nadesan, and former Finance Secretary Ramalingam Paskaralingam, to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
Head of Investigations SSP Nuwan Asanga revealed this when The Island inquired about the status of the high profile investigation launched in early Oct. 2021, on the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksha’s directive. SSP Asanga said that the disclosures had to be appropriately dealt in terms of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, No. 5 of 2006.
The CIABOC consists of Justice Eva Wanasundera (Chairperson), Justice Deepali Wijesundera and Chandra Nimal Wakishta, formerly of the State Intelligence Service (SIS).Responding to another query, the SSP said that the Attorney General’s advice hadn’t been sought in this regard so far.
Former government agent, Paskaralingham served as Secretary to the Treasury (1989 – 1994) and as a senior advisor to Prime Minister (2002–2004 and 2015–2019).The CIABOC submitted an interim report on the investigations to the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in June this year, amidst political turmoil leading to his ouster in the following month.International Consortium of International Journalists (ICIJ) made a spate of shocking revelations, following the examination of 11.9-mn confidential documents from 14 offshore service providers.
During CIABOC investigations, the failure on the part of Parliament to at least maintain a registrar of members’ asset declarations had been revealed. Nirupama Rajapaksa served as Deputy Minister of Water Supply and Drainage, from 2010 to 2015.
Both Nirupama Rajapaksa and Thirukumaran Nadesen had denied any wrongdoing on their part.Authoritative sources said that investigations that had been conducted so far by the CIABOC indicated that the issues at hand were outside the purview of the outfit.
Pandora investigations also dealt with substantial investments received by the Horizon College of Business and Technology (HCBT), situated in Malabe, from Paskaralingam. Funding had been made through a Singapore-based entity, owned by a trust in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). It has been reported that the Singapore–based company owns as much as 80 percent of the Malabe College that initially obtained registration as a vocational training facility.
ICIJ has received the papers, related to Paskaralingam, from the Trident Trust, one of the BVI’s oldest and largest trust companies. Documents revealed that Paskaralingam established a structure in the BVI called ‘The Aran Trust’ in July 2012. Paskaralingam and his family members have been named as beneficiaries.According to HCBT’s website, it has been recognized as a degree-awarding institute by the Ministry of Higher Education, in Sri Lanka, as well as a private higher education service provider in Sri Lanka by the University Grants Commission (UGC).
An email sent to Upul Daranagama, Chairman, HCBT, yesterday (18) requesting an opportunity to clarify certain matters pertaining to the ongoing investigation, bounced back. Prof. H.L. Obeysekera said that he was no longer the Rector, HCBT, hence his inability to respond to media queries. When The Island pointed out that the HCBT website, as of today, named him as the Rector, Prof. Obeysekera stressed that he was only the Dean, Faculty of Technology, Horizon Campus.An executive of HCBT said that Daranagama could be contacted on Monday while asserting HCBT and Horizon Campus were two entities under Horizon.
Meanwhile, the CIABOC is expected to respond next week to Justice Minister Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakse, PC, accusations that the outfit didn’t serve any purpose. Lawnaker Rajapakse questioned the rationale in maintaining the CIABOC which did nothing. The PC found fault with the outfit for its failure to inquire into his complaints, lodged over the years.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
