Deputy Minister of Planning and Economic Development Dr.
Harsha de Silva said the Sri Lankan government would certainly investigate into
the assets in Seychelles belonging to the former first family in Sri Lanka and
their closest associates.
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| RAJAPAKSA and JAMES MICHEL |
“There are various ways through which we can conduct
investigations. We can seek the assistance of private auditors and proceed with
the matter. At the same time, we can conduct inquires with the help of the
Stolen Assets Recovery Programme of the World Bank. The government can assure
the public that no one will be able to hide the ‘stolen assets’ in Seychelles
and dodge local law enforcement mechanism,” the Deputy Minister told Asian
Mirror on Monday.
“Seychelles is known to be a safe haven for stolen assets
and a money laundering hub. But, we, as a government, have realized the gravity
of this matter,” de Silva also added.
The Deputy Minister, when he was in the opposition, said
that embezzled funds, including money swindled from development projects in Si
Lanka, were deposited in Swiss banks through Seychelles.
Due to strict laws adopted by Switzerland, he said, the
amount of funds deposited in Swiss banks under Sri Lankan addresses had
decreased in recent years while deposits through Seychelles had drastically
increased.
“The population in Seychelles is slightly more than 90,000
but the deposits under the addresses of that country are worth about 3,000
million Swiss Francs last year, which is higher than the accumulated deposits
under Sri Lankan addresses,” he told media.
Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, nearly seven months
before his visit, opened a Sri Lankan High Commission in Seychelles while
setting up a branch of the Bank of Ceylon in the island.
Despite its population which does not exceed 90,000, Mihin
Lanka, an airline started under directives from former President Rajapaksa,
started a direct flight to the island last year.
Source:http://www.asianmirror.lk/top-news/item/6543-mr-s-alleged-seychelles-assets-to-be-investigated-world-bank-assistance-needed-to-unearth-stolen-assets
