2 March 2015
On Sunday the Sri Lankan government said that it has sought assistance from India, the US and the UK to help in investigating financial fraud of the former government.
The Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, addressing a meeting at Nuwara Eliya, said that many members of the former government face corruption allegations and they are attempting to topple the present government. In order to conduct proper investigation, it would be necessary to dissolve the parliament after the 100 days to be able to get rid of corrupt individuals existing within the government and the opposition.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said, according to Xinhua report, Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera and Justice Minister Wijeydasa Rajapaksa had visited India, the US and the UK to seek assistance for the probe.
Prime Minister also said that the government had sought assistance from the World Bank, the US Justice Department, major fraud investigations unit in London and the Indian central bank.
The PM also said that the people are blaming the government for not arresting the corrupt officials. He explained that the government could not arrest anyone unless there was sufficient evidence to prove guilt of the offender. He said that government needed more time to gather all the evidence necessary.
No doubt the former government was corrupt; very corrupt. It is true to say that when the top is corrupt all the way down the line to the bottom will also be corrupt. It is not sufficient to investigate the top politicians but senior bureaucrats.
The former government was noted for nepotism. Former Preident Mahinda Rajapaksa, along with his three brothers controlled 5 government ministries, which comprised of 70% of the national budget. US State Department came hard on Rajapaksa for the nepotism and his record on human rights issues.
Rajapaksa hailed from a powerful political family in his native place of Hambantota in the south of Sri Lanka. Rajapaksa family represented the Hambantota district in the parliament from 1936 to 1977. For 12 years from 1977 his family was not in the parliament. In 1989 Mahinda won in Hambantota district along with his brother Chamal Rajapaksa.
Rajapaksa came to power in 2005. He won the approbation of the Sinhala majority in 2009 by bringing to an end of the conflict staged by Tigers of the minority Tamils. Until President Sirisena’s revolt, Rajapaksa appeared set for a political walkover.

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