When luxury hotels, underworld ties, and presidential security mix, the result is a scandal that raises more questions than answers about power, protection, and responsibility in Sri Lanka.
Former Provincial Councilor Waruna Rajapaksa has sounded an alarm that blends scandal, politics, and national security into one combustible story. In a detailed statement, he expressed grave concern over what he described as an “urgent, important, and serious matter” connected to the President’s personal safety, the ownership of a controversial hotel chain, and suspected underworld connections.
According to Rajapaksa, there was no way to directly alert the President as the official phone lines were inactive, and even attempts to reach JVP’s Vijitha Herath failed. He explained that the issue was too serious to be postponed or ignored. His central argument is that the President should avoid staying in private offices, commercial establishments, or the homes of private individuals. Instead, Rajapaksa urged him to rely fully on the official security infrastructure and the residences designated for a sitting head of state.
To stress his point, Rajapaksa reminded the public of an earlier incident in Anuradhapura when the President stayed at a hotel linked to controversy. At that time, reports even circulated about explosives being found, which created a major public uproar. The ownership of that hotel became a central talking point across social media. Rajapaksa recalled that during a cabinet press conference, Nalinda Jayatissa did not explicitly deny claims about the owner of the property.
The controversy now centers on a woman identified as the owner of this hotel chain. Rajapaksa alleges that she is a person who mingles with “very responsible people in the state, starting with the President.” However, the most damaging revelations come not from her hotels but from a high-end property she owns in the Havelock City housing complex.
Rajapaksa revealed that this luxury apartment was first given to Thilini Priyamali, a woman who has already made headlines as a suspect in high-profile financial fraud cases. Priyamali reportedly lived there for six months. Afterward, the apartment was handed over on rent or some other arrangement to a man known for his ties to the underworld. This tenant, along with a municipal or regional councilor, was eventually arrested by the Police Narcotics Unit in connection with a dangerous drugs investigation.
Police discovered drug samples in the apartment’s parking area, confirming that the space was being used for narcotics-related activities. Rajapaksa stated that the matter is already before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court under case number B 59/24, linked to an incident that took place on February 24 of the previous year. The property was sealed during the police investigation but later released back to the woman by court order.
Rajapaksa emphasized that he does not know if the hotel chain owner herself has direct links to drugs or underworld figures. However, he insisted that the facts already raise serious red flags. The reality, he said, is that she provided accommodation to two separate groups accused of major criminal activity, first Priyamali and later a man linked to narcotics. That alone, he argued, should raise urgent questions about how such individuals gained access to her properties.
What makes this even more pressing, in Rajapaksa’s view, is the fact that this same woman is socially close to many figures in the government, including the President. He warned that the implications for the safety of the head of state are too significant to overlook.
“The government is responsible for ensuring the security of the President, not private individuals,” he said. “This is not a matter of personal security but national security.”
He further requested that the President and his advisors obtain the B-report from the Maligakanda Court, gather complete details from the police and the Narcotics Control Division, and fully investigate the chain of events. He stressed that the investigation should not only safeguard the President but also protect political party members and other activists who could be placed at risk through careless associations.
In his final remarks, Rajapaksa framed his revelations as an act of civic duty. He insisted that this was not gossip or rumor but information provided with the hope that the President’s inner circle would act responsibly. His main plea was simple: do not accept explanations at face value but investigate, confirm, and act before it is too late.
This explosive mix of drugs, hotels, underworld connections, and presidential security concerns has stirred public debate, exposing once again the blurred line between privilege, politics, and criminality in Sri Lanka. While Rajapaksa was careful to note that he cannot prove the hotel owner’s direct involvement with criminal networks, his warning leaves behind a trail of unsettling questions about who the President associates with and how secure the country’s leadership truly is.
SOURCE :- LANKACNEWS
