Sri Lankan gov't denies political influence in ex-president's fraud probe

Sri Lanka's new government on Monday denied any politicization over the ongoing fraud investigations against former President Mahinda Rajapakse's regime, an official said.

President Maithripala Sirisena was elected in January on promises to wipe out corruption during Rajapakse's ten-year rule, including investigations against Rajapakse and two of his brothers who held top posts in his government, as well as other officials and cabinet members.

Sirisena also appointed new institutions to probe financial dealings of the previous government which allegedly siphoned off millions of dollars. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera last week put the amount embezzled by the former president at 18 billion U.S. dollars but it was denied by Rajapakse.

One such body is the Anti-Corruption Committee headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, which works with the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) under the police.

Pro-Rajapakse parliamentarians have criticized the FCID as spearheading a "political witch-hunt" against the former government and called for it to be disbanded.

"We categorically state there is no political involvement here. The Anti-Corruption Committee merely passes on any information it encounters regarding financial misappropriation. The committee does not in any way influence the investigation," Deputy Foreign Minister Ajith Perera told reporters.

Wickremesinghe's office also denied any political motives behind the probes.

"The government assures the independence of the investigations carried out by all the law enforcement agencies in the country including the FCID and denies any sort of undue political intervention to the enforcement of law," the Prime Minister's office said. Endi