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NYT report: Ramanayake says FCID begins probe on his complaint
View(s):The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) has informed Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake that it has begun an inquiry into the complaint lodged by him regarding a New York Times (NYT) report that alleged former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had received funds from China for his January 2015 presidential election campaign.
Mr. Ramanayake told the Sunday Times that when he inquired from the FCID regarding the status of his complaint lodged last week, he was told that a probe had begun. The Sunday Times reported last week that the FCID was to seek a directive from Police Chief Pujith Jayasundara to ascertain which police unit would carry out the probe into the New York Times exposé.
According to the NYT report, at least US$7.6 million was dispensed from China Harbour Engineering Company’s account at Standard Chartered Bank to affiliates of Mr. Rajapaksa’s campaign. The report cited a document from an active internal government investigation. The document details China Harbour’s bank account number — ownership of which, it said, was verified — and intelligence gleaned from questioning of the people to whom the cheques were made out.
However Police Spokesman Superintendent of Police (SP) Ruwan Gunasekara said he has not been officially informed that the FCID had commenced the probe.