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Sri Lankan to seek Interpol assistance to probe former minister

Xinhua, February 13, 2015 Adjust font size:

Sri Lanka is to seek assistance from the international police to probe a former government minister over alleged mass financial fraud in the country, a government spokesperson said here on Friday.

Cabinet Spokesperson and Health Minister Rajitha Senaratne told Xinhua that the government is to seek assistance from Interpol to probe corruption allegations against former Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapakse who left for the United States soon after last month's presidential elections.

A complaint was lodged against Rajapakse, who is also the younger brother of former President Mahinda Rajapakse, at the country's Bribery and Corruption Commission by Sri Lanka's Marxist party, the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) alleging that he, with several other members of the Rajapakse family had committed mass financial fraud during their terms in office.

Complaints were also lodged against former President Mahinda Rajapakse, his elder son Namal Rajapakse and his brother and former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse. "Although Basil is in the United States, we will seek Interpol assistance to probe him as when it is required. All those who have been involved in corruption in the past will be thoroughly investigated and brought before the law, even though they are overseas," Senaratne said.

Basil Rajapakse and his wife left for the United States a few days after the defeat of his brother at the Jan. 8 presidential elections and now reside in Los Angeles. He and his family are citizens of the United States.

Since winning the elections, Sri Lanka's new government has launched a massive campaign to investigate alleged mass financial frauds committed by the previous government and hunt down for more than 5 billion U.S. dollars allegedly stashed overseas.

The Maithripala Sirisena government has sought help from India, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund to locate this hidden wealth.

Travel bans have been issued by the country's Bribery Commission on several key members of the former government including former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and Sajin Vaas Gunewardena, who was a strong ally of the former president in corruption investigations. Endi