US$ 1.99 billion a year pilfered from Sri Lanka
( April 10, 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The Illicit Financial Flow from Sri Lanka during the 2004 – 2013 period has been US$ 19967 million states Global Financial Integrity in its report financed by Finland.
According to Global Financial Integrity the illicit money taken out of the country is:
Year: 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013
In millions: 1487 1389 1554 1890 1655 1435 2634 4602 1567 1753
Illicit outflows were highest in 2011, when US$ 4.6 billion had been spirited away. The outflow nearly doubled compared with 2009, to US$ 2.63 billion in 2010, the year after the war against terrorism ended. The year 2009 was also the period after the global financial crisis, and US$ 1.45 billion of illegal money was taken away from Sri Lanka. US$ 1.48 billion in illicit money was taken out of the country during 2004, when Ranil Wickremesinghe served as prime minister for the second time until April that year.
Sri Lanka is ranked 53rd on the ‘Country Rankings on illicit financial flows with an average of US$ 1.99 billion a year pilfered from the country in the 10 years up to 2013.
The yahapalana government, despite promising frauds and corruption during Rajapaksa regime would be investigated, perpetrators punished and people’s assets plundered would be returned to the people,
follows a very lethargic policy in taking action regarding investigations that have been completed.
Many thieves of public money and resources not only are at large but they also have the nerved to challenge the government.
