Yoshitha Received Over Rs. 5 Mn in Salary and Allowances

COLOMBO (News 1st); The Colombo High Court was informed on Thursday (15) that former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda had requested funds and allowances exceeding £4,000 for Yoshitha Rajapaksa to attend a training programme in the United Kingdom while serving in the Sri Lanka Navy.

The revelation was made during the hearing of a case filed by the Attorney General against Yoshitha Rajapaksa under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, alleging that he committed an offence by purchasing five plots of land in the Dehiwala and Ratmalana areas valued at more than Rs. 73 million.

The case was taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Udesh Ranatunga.

During the trial, Navy officer Dhammika Priyadarshana Wickramaarachchi, giving evidence under the direction of Senior State Counsel Oswald Perera, stated that Yoshitha Rajapaksa received a monthly salary of Rs. 16,390 during his service as a naval officer.

The witness testified on behalf of former Navy Commander Admiral Travis Sinniah.

Quoting official records, the witness told court that Yoshitha Kanishka Rajapaksa served as a Lieutenant in the Sri Lanka Navy from December 14, 2006 until February 28, 2016. He stated that Rajapaksa received a monthly salary of Rs. 16,500, of which Rs. 110 was deducted, resulting in a net monthly payment of Rs. 16,390, inclusive of allowances.

The witness further testified that former Navy Commander Wasantha Karannagoda had written to the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence requesting funds for Yoshitha Rajapaksa to attend a young naval officers' training programme in the United Kingdom.

According to the testimony, the request sought £4,174.80 for accommodation and meals, along with Rs. 20,362 as course fees for the programme. Based on the exchange rate at the time, the sterling amount was worth close to Rs. 1 million.

Another Navy officer, Nuwan Thushara, testified that Yoshitha Rajapaksa had received a total of Rs. 5,150,626 in salaries and allowances during his ten years of service in the Navy.

According to the witness, Yoshitha Rajapaksa received salaries and allowances from the Navy from 2006 until February 2016, with his gross remuneration consisting of both basic salary and allowances.

Navy officer Devinda Udayakumara also testified that Yoshitha Rajapaksa had submitted declarations of assets and liabilities to the Navy covering the period from March 31, 2009 to March 31, 2015.

Further evidence was led by Senarath Bandara, a court clerk appearing on behalf of the Registrar of the Nugegoda District Court under the direction of Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara.

The testimony was based on the original court file of a case heard before the Nugegoda District Court relating to property linked to Daisy Forrest.

The witness stated that a court order issued on March 15, 2017 by then Nugegoda District Judge Sahan Mapa had appointed a third defendant to administer Daisy Forrest's estate and named another individual as her guardian on the basis that she was suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's disease.

However, the witness told court that the order did not contain a note indicating the court had been satisfied regarding her medical condition. He further stated that although an individual had been appointed to administer the estate, the court records contained no details of the estate itself, including any list of movable or immovable property or financial assets belonging to Daisy Forrest.

Following the proceedings, Judge Udesh Ranatunga fixed October 30 for the continuation of the trial and instructed the remaining prosecution witnesses to be present in court on that date.