Minister of Industries and Enterprise Development, Sunil Handunnetti, made a fiery declaration in Parliament, stating unequivocally that the Rajapaksa family and former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe will be jailed for their alleged roles in widespread corruption and fraud.
In a no-holds-barred speech, Handunnetti slammed what he described as a “rogue state,” detailing a series of high-profile financial scandals that he claims have robbed the country.
“There is the sugar tax fraud. I filed the complaint. We will not give up. We will take the case forward,” he said. He went on to reference the infamous garlic scam and alleged that government-run Sathosa manipulated rice stocks—selling them cheaply only to repurchase them at inflated rates, even offloading some to beer companies.
Handunnetti also accused powerful political figures of misusing state resources, including importing dairy cattle through questionable foreign deals and using government employees for personal errands—specifically targeting the Ayurveda Corporation and former Minister Rajitha Senaratne.
“There were people beaten with dollars. Some were beaten on expressways,” he remarked cryptically, alluding to financial crimes and state-sponsored thuggery. He also demanded justice for the Central Bank bond scam, vowing that those responsible will be held accountable.
“The Justice Minister should say it. The Rajapaksa family will put Ranil in jail. I say it,” he thundered. “Just like the ministers, even the cheating wives of their drivers must be investigated.”
Handunnetti’s statements mark one of the boldest confrontations in Parliament yet, signaling the NPP-led government’s aggressive stance against past political corruption. Whether these dramatic promises will materialize into legal action remains to be seen—but the message was clear: political immunity is over.
