Former Minister Champika Ranawaka claims that Sri Lanka has become a new global hotspot for laundering black money, pointing to government-backed casino projects that enable criminal syndicates to operate freely without needing to flee to Dubai.
Former Minister Champika Ranawaka has strongly criticized the government’s recent approval of casino-based developments, claiming that Sri Lanka is now enabling large-scale money laundering operations directly within its borders.
Speaking at a media conference in Colombo, Ranawaka alleged that criminal networks and underworld gangs no longer need to go to Dubai to launder black money, as the government has effectively opened the doors for them to do it from Sri Lanka itself.
He stated that the country has made it easier to launder black money by legalizing and supporting the development of casinos. According to him, these projects are often cloaked as tourist ventures but are structured similarly to brothels, with little to no regulatory oversight.
“This time, it’s not even local businessmen running these shady operations,” Ranawaka warned. “They’ve handed them over directly to foreign businessmen. We are surrendering our financial integrity to international underworld actors.”
The former minister said the government’s actions are setting the stage for Sri Lanka to become a global hub for criminal financial transactions, further damaging the country’s economic credibility and governance standards.
Ranawaka has previously criticized the misuse of land and development permits for profit-driven projects that lack transparency and accountability. This latest warning points to a broader concern that state-sanctioned ventures, such as casinos, could be exploited by underworld elements for illicit transactions including drug money, arms trade, and smuggling operations.
He emphasized that if these developments are not curbed immediately, Sri Lanka could face international sanctions or lose standing in global financial watchdog groups that monitor money laundering and terrorism financing.
He concluded by calling on the public and opposition forces to rise against the normalization of criminal finance in Sri Lanka under the guise of tourism and investment.
