Ex-wife sold Mahindananda’s London properties
Oct 22, 2016
At a television programme recently, former sports minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said he had no property or business in London, or in England. He said his brother has businesses there.
Most politicians abusing their powers and doing business do so by naming the businesses under the name of their family members or henchmen. Accordingly, Mahindananda had his London businesses under the name of his former wife. Manhindananda and Ambanpalage Asha Vijayanthi Perera have got divorced, but they still do their businesses together. When he was the sports minister, it was a common sight to see Asha present to supervise the ministry’s tender board meetings. It was Asha who had coordinated between Mahindananda and the tender bidders.
Not liking it, Mahinda Rajapaksa and his sons used their servant-media to attack Mahindananda and Asha, not because they wanted to eliminate bribery or corruption, but because they were a disruption to their rackets. It was the Rajapaksas who had leaked the assets list of Mahindananda to websites and alternate media.
Using the illegally-amassed wealth, Mahindananda bought a luxury apartment at Sydenham Hill in London to the name of Asha. Its address is Flat 04, Blyton House, 19-23, Sydenham Hill, London, SE266SH.
A few weeks ago, Asha went to London to sell this property. That is because they were told that the media has got to know about it.
Mahindananda’s London business, Perera and Co., was run under Asha. Its account was maintained at Lloyds Bank. Its details are: Lloyds Bank PLC, account no. 03495xxx, sort code 30-92-xx (as per provisions in the data security act, the entire details cannot be given. At present, this account has nearly one million pound sterling, according to the sources that provided us the information).
Mahindananda also owns several properties in Colombo and in Nawalapitiya. All those were bought after he became a politician. But, he claims that he bought them from the money he has earned through businesses he did with money he had inherited. That is the argument given by all politicians who misappropriate earnings. But, that argument has become a joke now.
Anyway, there are many revelations about Mahindananda’s questionable properties and earnings, but neither the bribery commission nor the police have been able to take legal action regarding them.
After obtaining statements from various persons, in the end what had happened was that court action was filed against him over the misuse of Rs. 1.4 million belonging to the SLFP’s estate trade union. All these allow Mahindananda to cover up all his fraud and corruption and play innocent before society.
There are many reasons to file court action against Mahindananda and Asha, but Asha was let go and action filed against Mahindananda over a minor fraud due to pressure exerted to the police by a top minister of the Yahapalana government at the instigation of her present lover, the owner of ACL Cables, informed sources say.
