The media probably earned the wrath of the JVP for this expos‚, because it brought into focus the connection between the JVP and the PA.

The JVP insisted, no bank statements were ever issued in the names of Weerawansa or Ruwan Ferdinandez and that this newspaper had fabricated the documents together with UNP politicians.

To publicly allege that opposition politicians bribed senior bank officials to make computer alterations on bank statements, which were in turn provided to sections of the independent press, without an iota of proof, has shown how shallow and politically na‹ve the JVP in reality are. In fact, the JVP's own stupid explanation with regard to this bank account has only left Weeravansha wide open to tender his resignation from the JVP.

Today, The Sunday Leader has proved beyond all reasonable doubt that these bank statements from the Peoples Bank, Nugegoda bearing account no. 0174 165 006 8569 have in fact gone out in the names of Wimal Weeravansha and T. G. R. P. Pradinandis (best known as Ruwan Ferdinandez) to an address at Walawwatte, Malwana.

And despite it being stated in the statement itself that any change of address or mistake should be notified to the Bank, the JVP had not done so either at least until the expos‚.

Mohamed Haried Mohamed Niyas, in a candid interview with this newspaper has detailed his amazement at Weeravansha's blatant lie to cover up evidence that is damning. (See box for interview)

On Monday October 15, the day Wimal Weeravansha and Tilvin Silva went public, angrily exclaiming that the expos‚ in The Sunday Leader was a malicious attempt to tarnish Weeravansha's image - and that the entire story was an outright lie - fabricated in connivance with opposition politicians and corrupt bank officials, we contacted the senior branch manager at the Peoples Bank, Nugegoda, W. Piyasena.

Piyasena confirmed that this account had been opened in the names of T. G. R. P. Pradinandis and W. Weeravansha in 1994 and was thus operational as of Monday, October 15, 2001. Piyasena explained that this account is indeed the party account of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna. He said that while the bank had been aware that Ruwan Ferdinandez was no longer the financial secretary of the JVP, the party however did not notify the bank requesting, to change the individuals names that had been recorded to open this account as a joint current account in 1994.

As a result, according to Piyasena, the Peoples Bank, Nugegoda, every month posted three original bank statements of this account. One, he says was addressed to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and posted to their office at Panchikawatte, the other two statements were sent as a joint statement to a single address at No. 174, "Niyash," Walawwatte, Malwana. These two statements, Piyasena categorically stated last Monday, were both sent out in the names of T. G. R. P. Pradinandis and W. Weeravansha.

Current Account Manager at the Peoples Bank, Nugegoda, Janaki Abeysooriya told The Sunday Leader also on Monday October 15, 2001 that the bank had received instructions to change the names on this account only last Thursday. That is after The Sunday Leader queried the account.

The Sunday Leader challenges Wimal Weeravansha to now prove his crude allegation last week that senior bank officers at the Peoples Bank, Nugegoda, "were bought for a sum of money" and made "computer alterations to original bank statements, belonging to the JVP." The statements issued in the names of Weerawansa and Ferdinandez are particularly intriguing considering the fact that other political parties get the bank statements only in the party name.

Surely the PA and UNP accounts don't come in the name of Chandrika Kumaratunga and Ranil Wickrem- esinghe or for that matter, Mangala Samaraweera or Rajitha Senaratne!

Let us now deal with how Mohamed Haried Mohamed Niyas has figured with the JVP. Niyas was one time Treasurer of the Sri Lanka Progressive Front (SLPF). In 1994, the SLPF and the JVP formed a partnership to contest that year's general elections. It was the first time the JVP were entering the democratic political mainstream and shedding their jungle fatigues, in favour of a more sober image.

The JVP, though operating an office at No. 198/19, Panchikawatte Road, Colombo 10, in 1994, were however in desperate need for a 'neutral address and home.' Niyas was thus approached, and he readily agreed to allow the reds to use his home. Niyas in his interview with The Sunday Leader reiterates that the JVP began to give out his home address to receive mail initially without his knowledge or consent.

Niyas however did not object. A steady stream of mail addressed to Somawansa Amarasinghe, Tilvin Silva, Wimal Weeravansha, and T. G. R. P. Pradinandis including letters addressed to the party, have arrived at his home address over the last seven years. The Sunday Leader has elsewhere on this page shown as proof some of these letters which to date are posted to Niyas' home address at No. 174, Walawwatte, Malwana.

Until 1996, Wimal Weeravansha and Ruwan Ferdinandez, both of whom Niyas recalls clearly would arrive at his home consistently to collect their mail. In 1996, the SLPF decided to 'support' the ruling coalition of the People's Alliance. Their decision to do so drew wrath from the JVP high command, namely Somawansa Amarasinghe.

A letter addressed to Ariya Bulegoda, Leader of the SLPF, by Somawansa Amarasinghe in 1996, spews venom and anger at the SLPF's decision to support - according to Amarasinghe, a bunch of capitalistic rogues and questions why he is returning to be a serf to the Walauwwa. The lengthy vituperative letter ends by severing the partnership between the SLPF and the JVP. It is prudent to note here the JVP's 'changing face,' for a mere five years later the party signed an MOU with the same 'capitalistic rogues,' and is today one of the loudest to espouse the PA cause.

To get back to our story - after the alliance between the SLPF and the JVP ended, the reds stopped visiting their 'safe house' at No. 174, Walawwatte, Malwana. For some reason however, the party did not inform many including the Peoples Bank, Nugegoda, that there was now a change of address. Neither did Weerawansa or Tilvin Silva. This is why over a period of years, letters to the JVP and to various individuals of the Marxist oriented party, including the said bank statements continue to arrive at Niyas' residence, at Malwana.

The JVP in fact inserted the name "Niyash" into the original address in order to make certain that their mail would not be lost but arrive safely at Niyas' residence. The 'amended' address thereafter read as No. 174, "Niyash," Walawwatte, Malwana.

When Niyas had witnessed on television last week and read in numerous newspapers the very public denial of Wimal Weeravansha that he would resign and together with Tilvin Silva dissolve the JVP if The Sunday Leader could prove its expos‚ on statements going in the names of Weerawansa and Ferdinandez, Niyas became suspicious.

Opening some of the statements that had arrived, and which still lay at his home, Niyas quickly confirmed his suspicions. That the bank statement, both Weeravansha and Tilvin were brandishing for the public to witness claiming the account has always been in the name of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and not in any individuals names - was a canard.

The numerous bank statements from the Peoples Bank, Nugegoda, bearing account no. 0174 165 006 8569 is one and the same made public by Weeravansha and Tilvin last week. The difference is in the name of the account holders. The bank statements that have consistently arrived at Niyas' residence at Walawwatte, Malwana are joint statements in the names of T. G. R. P. Pradinandis and W. Weeravansha.

We now call upon Wimal Weeravansha to tender his resignation given that we have stood up to his challenge to prove our story last week is indeed correct and accurate beyond any reasonable doubt. We also challenge the JVP to dissolve the party as it has promised to do in the event the allegations are confirmed and proved. Provided the party will not use it as an excuse to return to their murderous ways, not to mention bank robberies.

If the JVP needs any further evidence, they can call upon President Chandrika Kumaratunga to initiate an investigation that will obviously begin at the Peoples Bank, Nugegoda where it can be confirmed that such an account did in fact exist (as a joint current account) in the names of Wimal Weeravansha and T. G. R. P. Pradinandis. After all, the bank will have a record of all the statements it has issued to these two persons over the last seven years.

Another curious and yes, even ludicrous aspect of this whole issue is both Tilvin Silva's and Wimal Weeravansha's statements last week promising to dissolve the JVP if these allegations are confirmed and proved.

Surely, the JVP is not some private organisation of only Wimal Weeravansha and Tilvin Silva. Is it because they think the party and its assets are their private property that, another JVP MP, Bimal Ratnayake did not even know the existence of this account which Silva and Weerawansa claim is the party account? Is that not why Ratnayake when questioned about the account last week told The Sunday Leader, to ask Weerawansa as he is unaware of such an account?

Who do these two members think they are? - that they can compromise the position of eight other JVP ex MPs including a large number of party members, provincial and local councillors, to dissolve a registered political party - all because it is proved that one of its members has been found guilty of deception by lying about the statement.

What response can Weeravansha and Tilvin give ex MP Bimal Ratnayake who told this newspaper last week that not only had he never heard of Ruwan Ferdinandez but also knew nothing of such a bank account.

If, as Weeravansha claimed last week this same account is financed by the salaries of JVP public representatives, which are deposited to this account - how is it that Bimal Ratnayake is unaware of such an account.

It is curious that Bimal Ratnayake is unaware that on March 1, this year, according to Wimal Weeravansha, cheque no. 692621 in the name of Bimal Ratnayake for the amount of Rs. 37,202.00 was deposited to this same account.

Weeravansha has further alleged that cheques for the salaries of provincial councilors, local councillors are deposited in this current account and the money taken back for the welfare programmes done by the public representative's fund. "Nothing more is related to this account," he said, boasting that even though the bank account details of an individual or political party must be kept secret by law, "we in the JVP have nothing to keep away from the people."

If, as the JVP says, the salaries of its members are deposited to this account - how do these same members exist? After all, everybody needs a salary to eat, drink, pay rents and mortgages and meet sundry bills that are common to all city dwellers - both in Colombo and outside.

Since it has now been proved that this account does exist and even the JVP have admitted that Ruwan Ferdinandez functioned as the JVP's Finance Secretary at one time, why did Ferdinandez when contacted, deny any knowledge of this account?

The question also arises whether the JVP has submitted to the inland revenue department annually, their returns as required by law giving details of the account. If not, that is yet another offence.

The Sunday Leader gave every opportunity to Wimal Weeravansha to explain the existence of this account before we carried our first expos‚. He chose instead to duck our numerous phone calls which is why in fairness to the JVP we spoke to Bimal Ratnayake.

Weeravansha in fact has only further proved that he too can be classed among those many persons he himself castigates as being 'racketeers.' Not only has Weeravansha sought to hide the details of this bank account when called upon by law to state in his declaration of assets and liabilities any bank accounts here or abroad in his name; he has also (as The Sunday Leader highlighted previously), attempted to avoid honouring an outstanding balance of over Rs. 30,000 he owes the Colombo Municipal Council. The said loan had been granted during his tenure of the council - but he conveniently forgot to honour the balance installments no sooner he left and also refrained from showing it as a liability in his assets declaration. Weeravansha's duplicity in such matters knows no bounds.

Weeravansha in his shameful display last week to camouflage the truth of this story, challenged The Sunday Leader, to once more expose the underhand dealings of S. B. Dissanayake in connection with the Susanthika Jayasinghe case.

We would like to remind Weeravansha that The Sunday Leader when the said situation arose reported the case in full. This newspaper is not interested however in slinging mud at any single individual. As and when the situations arise we will do our job in the public interest as we have proved repeatedly and report such details.

For example, The Sunday Leader has been approached on many an occasion to report the 'inside story' of Wimal Weeravansha's marriage. We have chosen not to do so - not because we are not privy to all its titillating details - but, because this is a personal matter and we, at The Sunday Leader will not stoop to the levels of gutter journalism.

By the same yardstick, we can continue to harp on the murderous past of the JVP. Similar to the exhibition conducted by the PA months before the link up. This nation has not forgotten the JVP's chit system, its robberies of banks and the many murders, even of Buddhist monks it carried out - justifying their brutal slayings as that of 'mere human trash.'

Again, this newspaper has refrained from detailing and repeating such reminisces - because we applaud the JVP's attempt to enter a democratic political mainstream. Given the JVP logic, why then are they silent about multi million rupee waivers given to President Kumaratunga's friend Ronnie Pieris from the Bank of Ceylon or Mangala Samaraweera's credit card scandal?

The Sunday Leader stands tall even when the likes of Wimal Weeravansha stoop low - pushing aside principled politics and opt instead to eschew the trappings of being just one more capitalistic crony ordering multi million rupee duty free vehicles.

The Sunday Leader is only too aware that when we "blow the cover" off a miscreant, it is common for those thus exposed to threaten legal action. It is easy to threaten but a totally different ball game when it comes to putting into practice - court action.