Retired General Sarath Fonseka gave no funds from campaign donations he received for the January 26 presidential elections to his main backer, the United National Party (UNP), according to a seniorUNP leader.
This is what UNP General Secretary Tissa Attanayake, the Sunday Times learns, has said in a statement to Criminal Investigation Department detectives this week. He has said that his party used its own resources to fund the former Army Commander’s election campaign. The UNP was the main constituent of the joint coalition that backed Gen. (retd.) Fonseka.
CID detectives are investigating the sources of funding for retired General Fonseka’s campaign. This is in the light of the discovery last month of currency amounting to more than Rs 75 million in four different vaults in a private bank at Thimbirigasyaya. The money included US dollar notes totaling 527,000.
Two of the vaults have been in the name of Asoka Tillekeratne, mother of Danuna Tillekerante, the son-in-law of Gen. (retd.) Fonseka. Though two others were in the name of a family member, they have told detectives that the funds belonged to Ms. Tillekeratne. She in turn has said in a statement that the funds were given to her by Apsara, General (retd.) Fonseka’s daughter, who was in Sri Lanka, during the campaign.
Detectives probing the matter have heard claims that the monies were part of campaign donations. This is notwithstanding the fact that retaining such large sums of money in a vault is a violation of Exchange Control regulations. The CID is trying to determine the source of the US currency and whether any funds received by
Gen. (retd.) Fonseka had been shared with other constituent parties of the coalition that backed him. This way, the detectives want to ascertain the volume of funds received and whether any foreign sources were involved.
Mr. Attanayake is also learnt to have told CID detectives that he was aware that Gen. (retd.) Fonseka was dealing with a wider network of retired military personnel during his polls campaign. The CID has found that about Rs 87 million had been spent on retired military officers during the presidential election campaign.
There were plans earlier to summon Mr. Attanayake to the CID headquarters to make a statement. However, in view of the ongoing election campaign, detectives visited him for the purpose.
Tissa Attanayake confirmed last night that he had made a statement to the CID on Friday.
He said he had been questioned if he was aware of the sources from which funds were received by General Fonseka during his presidential election campaign and how the money was spent.
He said he had told the CID he was only aware of the funds received by the UNP which were open for scrutiny.
Detectives are also to obtain a statement from Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) General Secretary Tilvin Silva. |
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