By Roy Denish
Sugeeshwara Bandara investigation finds salary payments intended for Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s secretary went to his nephew’s bank account.
COLOMBO — Investigations into former Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s administration have revealed that funds allocated for his personal secretary were funneled into a bank account belonging to the son of one of Rajapaksa’s sisters, according to judicial proceedings.
Sukeeshwara Bandara, who formerly served as the Director General of Special Projects under ex-President Ranil Wickremesinghe, is currently remanded in custody. He faces multiple charges, including criminal breach of trust and the misappropriation of over 220 million rupees.
Presenting a further report to the court, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) stated that funds designated for the personal secretary position under former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa were systematically deposited into a relative’s account. Investigators uncovered multiple transactions, including four separate deposits of 5 million rupees each, alongside 79 individual transfers totaling more than 11.4 million rupees.
The ongoing probe forms part of wider legal scrutiny into financial irregularities and abuse of office tied to previous administrative circles.
