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Probe

Pity the Politicians?

Tissa Attanayake, P. Dayaratne, Rajitha Senaratne, K.N. Choksy, Naveen Dissanayake and Ravi Karunanayake

By R. Wijewardene
and Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema

So dear readers we return to the sad and sordid tale of Golden Key. Again the details of this sorry story are well established and after three installments of the infamous and seemingly infinite list the tales of human suffering featured weekly have begun to lose their visceral impact.

While the tales of woe spawned by Golden Key are legion this week The Leader advises readers to spare a thought for a group whose ‘suffering’ has so far been largely neglected by the media. A minority group whose sufferings and sacrifices, are sadly and routinely under-reported — no not homosexuals or gypsies but another small, maligned and flamboyant minority with a poor reputation — politicians.

While they may not instantly attract the outpouring of sympathy reserved for bankrupt elderly widows and invalids who are now forgoing medication it appears that several of our nation’s notoriously diligent, scrupulously honest, representatives of the people have been tragically defrauded by the heartless hinds at Golden Key.

Hard earned money

Twelve politicians connected to both the government and the opposition invested a hefty amount of hard earned money in Golden Key and now like so many other depositors, are suffering.

It is reported that as a result of these losses some can only afford to fuel three of their four Monteros and of course dear readers we can only imagine the extent of their suffering. Indeed there are suggestions that the losses will eventually lead to a multi party consensus on the proposed IMF bailout.

Chief among the innocent political victims of the fiends at Golden Key was Tissa Attanayake, General Secretary of the UNP whose losses exceed Rs.13 million. “I used the money which came from the sale of some property for my living expenses, what happened is a tragedy,” was the Secretary’s plaintive complaint, and many readers will no doubt be moved by his plight.

Another UNP stalwart and national list MP, K.N. Choksy together with his wife appears to have invested five million rupees in multiple accounts. UNP MP for Matale Ranjith Aluvihare on the other hand despite being listed as a depositor denied ever having made a deposit at Golden Key and when pressed as to why his Matale office telephone number appeared on the list replied that it was possible his wife had made a deposit in his name. Again we have only respect for a man who cares so little for material wealth that millions of rupees can be invested by his family, using his phone numbers, without him ever being aware of it.

While the beleaguered opposition typically suffered the worst of the losses the suffering wrought by the Golden Key scandal crosses party lines.

Lack of investment skills

National Skills Development Minister Dayasritha Tissera displayed a singular lack of investment skills by depositing Rs. 7 million with Golden Key. He claims that the money belongs to his parents and what is clear is that the unfortunate Minister will have to use all his skills to earn back this enormous loss.

Meanwhile the Plan Implementation Minister P. Dayaratne had his financial plans ruined by the loss of Rs. 3 million and Construction and Engineering Services Minister Rajitha Senaratne will find himself somewhat less mobile after selling his Nissan Patrol to fund his Rs.7 million deposit.

Another major investor from government ranks is Naveen Dissanayake, Minister for Investment Promotion who had invested Rs. 5 million. His brother, Colombo West UPFA Organiser Mayantha Dissanayake has invested Rs. 6 million. While their mother, Vajira Srimathi Dissanayake had deposited a further Rs. 6 million.

Last but not least was UNP diehard Ravi Karunanayake at Rs. 50,000 (fifty thousand).

Honest and scrupulous ways

Of course when questioned by The Sunday Leader as to how they had earned the money in question all politicians contacted declared that they had not only come by these monies in the most honest and scrupulous ways imaginable but also that they had declared and even paid copious amounts of tax on their deposits.

Given the aforementioned and notorious honesty of our politicians we have of course no reason to doubt their claims. Though written proof of these declarations and tax payments if offered by the men in question will be published next week as an example to the nation of the indubitable and impeccable honesty of our worthy political masters.

More seriously the losses incurred by the politicians remind us that for all that they seem to like taking money even politicians can lose — financially that is — and for people used to having everything go their own way the shock of Golden Key must be doubly hard for these poor politicos. Our hearts go out to them as should yours and the next time you find yourself struggling to pay some tax or another, remember that there’s a good chance the money will eventually find its way to a worthy cause — after all they are human beings too.

List of depositors who invested Rs. 10m with GK

And now readers the part you’ve all been waiting for. The moment where you can feast your eyes on a week’s worth of gossip, and use your intuition to determine from this list of surnames which of your friends, relations and acquaintances have been caught in the trap of Golden Key.

This week we feature depositors in the Rs. 10 million bracket, reasonably wealthy folk who have incurred significant losses. As a humanitarian newspaper of course we caution our readers as ever not to gloat or to take vicarious pleasure in the suffering of others — to err after all is human.

And this list stands as ever only as a testimony to the extent of the suffering wrought by Golden Key… for all those now gloating over the fact that they didn’t have any money at Golden Key or any other Ceylinco institutions can you really say with any confidence that had you been approached by the respected, cherubic figure of Mr. Kotelawala and promised 30 % interest on a Rs. 10 million deposit, you would have said no?

Due to an oversight on our part we could not feature those in the Rs. 10 mn category in the last two weeks.

MR A N JAYAKODY 10,000,000.00

MR AUGIE RANAWEERA 10,000,000.00

MR B K G PREMATILAKE 10,000,000.00

MR CARL GOONAWARNA 10,000,000.00

MR CHANDANA ABEYSEKARA 10,000,000.00

MR D SELLAMUTTU 10,000,000.00

MR D B MAVILMADA 10,000,000.00

MRS D G G PARANAGAMA 10,000,000.00

MR D J S KERAGALA 10,000,000.00

MR D M T B DISSANAYAKE 10,000,000.00

MR D P D HETTIARACHCHI 10,000,000.00

MR D R S T SERAM 10,000,000.00

MRS DEEPIKA KUMARASINGHE 10,000,000.00

MRS DON SUMANAWATHIE PATHIRAGE 10,000,000.00

ELECTRO METAL PRESSINGS (PVT) LTD 10,000,000.00

MR G U KUMARASINGHE 10,000,000.00

MR G U NANAYAKKARA 10,000,000.00

MR GANGANATH BULUMULLE 10,000,000.00

MR H A FERNANDO 10,000,000.00

MR H G SARATH CHANDRA SAMARASOORIYA 10,000,000.00

MRS H I MOTHA 10,000,000.00

MRS H M D C NISHANTHI 10,000,000.00

MR H N J DABARE 10,000,000.00

MR HUSSEIN SHIRAZ 10,000,000.00

MRS I DISSANAYAKE 10,000,000.00

MRS IRANGANIE SOMASIRI 10,000,000.00

MRS IRANI MAHAGAMAGE 10,000,000.00

MR J PATHIRANA 10,000,000.00

MR J K Y D RAMBUKWELLA 10,000,000.00

REV J N FERNANDO 10,000,000.00

MR JOSEPH VITRA NIHAL ARSECULERATNA 10,000,000.00

MS K B KULUGAMMANA 10,000,000.00

MR K D P R FERNANDO 10,000,000.00

MR K L G WASANTHA 10,000,000.00

MR K P DE SILVA 10,000,000.00

MR K R SIRISENA 10,000,000.00

MRS L L NALLASAMY 10,000,000.00

MR L M C PIERIS KUMARASINGHE 10,000,000.00

MR M FERNANDO 10,000,000.00

MR M KARUNARATNE 10,000,000.00

MR M SALPITIKORALA 10,000,000.00

MR M F M WICKRAMASURIYA 10,000,000.00

MRS M J RATNAYAKE 10,000,000.00

MR M NIMALSIRI NISSANKA COORAY 10,000,000.00

MR M R ABEYESUNDERE 10,000,000.00

MRS M U WICKRAMARATNE 10,000,000.00

MR M V J SIRIWARDANA 10,000,000.00

MR M W PEIRIS 10,000,000.00

MR MAHELA JAYAWARDENA 10,000,000.00

MRS N N HAPUARACHCHI 10,000,000.00

MR P C DABARE 10,000,000.00

MRS P G S GUNARATNA 10,000,000.00

MR P I G GALHENAGE 10,000,000.00

DR P S A FERNANDO 10,000,000.00

MR PEARL WETHTHASINGHE 10,000,000.00

MR R A RATNAYAKE 10,000,000.00

MR R A K WEERARATHNE 10,000,000.00

MR R E JAYATILAKA 10,000,000.00

MR R E U DE SILVA 10,000,000.00

MR R M S RATHNAYAKE 10,000,000.00

MR RANTHETH GEDARA UPATISSA 10,000,000.00

MR ROMOLD SAMPATH MUHANDIRAMGE 10,000,000.00

MR ROY LINCOLN FONSEKA HEWAFONSEKAGE 10,000,000.00

MRS S DE SARAM 10,000,000.00

MR S WIJESUNDERA 10,000,000.00

MRS S E FERNANDO 10,000,000.00

MRS S M WICKREMASINGHE 10,000,000.00

MR S S AMARATHUNGA 10,000,000.00

MR SENAKA FERNANDO 10,000,000.00

MRS SHANTHA MANGALIKA AMADORU THUPPAHIGE 10,000,000.00

MRS SURALI MANOJI WEERASURIYA 10,000,000.00

MRS T D PERERA 10,000,000.00

MR T M ABEYWICKRAMA 10,000,000.00

MS T M N GUNATHILAKE 10,000,000.00

MR T S K KALUARACHCHI 10,000,000.00

MRS V.S THALAYASINGAM 10,000,000.00

MR W A D S JAYASHANTHA 10,000,000.00

MR W M P NANDASENA 10,000,000.00

MR W W D G S ONIL 10,000,000.00

MR WARNAKULASURIYA TITUS FERNANDO 10,000,000.00

MRS Y S C SILVA 10,000,000.00

MR ROMAL J FERNANDO 10,000,000.54

MR KALITH RATNAYAKE 10,000,061.49

MR GAMINI JAYASUNDARA 10,000,831.97

MR S NANAYAKKARA 10,000,999.34

MR A A C COORAY 10,001,500.00

MRS DESERAE DILHARA BERNADETTE FERDINANDS 10,002,000.00

MRS C L C P SILVA 10,002,356.25

MRS G N KRISHNARAJAH 10,023,219.04

MRS H DON WYJAYANTHI MANGALIKA GOONEWARDENA 10,050,000.00

MRS MANGALIKA PERERA 10,061,400.00

MR W J C FERNANDO 10,067,545.50

MR K THANGARASU 10,088,602.33

MR D D J VETHAVANAM 10,100,000.00

MR G M L A DE SILVA 10,100,000.00

MR K M SOMASIRI 10,100,000.00

MRS SWINEITHAA SENADIYRA 10,100,000.00

MR VERNAN DODWELL JOSEPH ABEYSUNDARA 10,100,000.00

MR A M N ATAPATTU 10,128,510.88

MRS K R M WEERAKOON 10,129,064.41

MRS K R M WEERAKOON 10,134,971.76

MR GAMINI JAYASURIYA 10,140,147.15

MRS TAMARA ANNE PERERA 10,150,000.00

MR P B L COORAY 10,155,493.06

MRS K R M WEERAKOON 10,190,437.46

MR N N T PRIYANTHA 10,200,000.00

MR N W E R NANAYAKKARA 10,200,000.00

DR S L G JAYASURIYA 10,200,000.00

MR D ANIL KUMARASIRI ADIKARAM 10,228,389.05

MR UPALI WARAGODA 10,250,000.00

DR H A D A HETTIARACHCHI 10,281,301.13

MR HECTOR WIJERATHNE 10,300,000.00

MRS LILANI MIGNONE BALASURIYA 10,300,000.00

MR T H S ABEYRATNE 10,300,000.00

MR E A M L EDIRISINGHE 10,304,266.47

MR/MS R C / S R DE SILVA 10,326,923.08

MR P S FERNANDO 10,332,761.47

MRS DEEPANI THARANGANI DHARMASIRI 10,350,000.00

MRS J N D BANDARANAIKE 10,367,315.84

REV P D S B RATHNASINGHE 10,391,300.00

MR PIYADASA HEVAPATHIRANAGE 10,400,000.00

MR B RANJITH CHERUKA JUDE FONSEKA 10,450,000.00

MR KAHINGALA SADDASENA 10,452,133.42

MR JAYAMPATHI PALIPANE 10,453,900.00

MR M A S D COSTA 10,462,626.19

MR P D D FERNANDO 10,481,757.82

MR A G C PIGERA 10,500,000.00

MR A S R ARSAKULARATNE 10,500,000.00

MR D M DEMOTTE 10,500,000.00

MRS H A K NAYANA DUSHANTHI 10,500,000.00

MR K M P L PERERA 10,500,000.00

MRS KANTHI DE SILVA 10,500,000.00

MRS P R DE SILVA 10,500,000.00

DR V S HETTIARACHCHI 10,500,000.00

MRS W E S D PEIRIS 10,500,000.00

MR JAYANTHA JAYASINGHE GUNAWARDANE 10,510,821.52

MRS PEARL DE FONSEKA 10,524,335.88

MR SUNIL WIJETUNGE 10,534,680.00

MR N D JAYAWICKRAMA 10,562,540.13

MRS C S PEIRIS 10,600,000.00

LADY DR S P C KOTELAWALA 10,600,000.00

MRS S R E SIRIMALI 10,600,000.00

MS GAYANI SUMUDU DHARMASENA WANNI ARACHCHIGE 10,630,886.60

PROF P H G FONSEKA 10,651,678.48

MR M A C B PERERA 10,677,954.03

MR J A DAVIS 10,700,000.00

MRS M C WEERATUNGA 10,763,200.00

MR NIHAL KALUARACHCHI 10,800,000.00

MR P R ABEYASEKARA 10,840,000.00

MR L SIRISENA 10,900,100.00

MR K S M KUMARATUNGE 10,920,000.00

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