Sirisena Ousts FCID Boss; SDIG Dogged By Corruption Scandal
Senior DIG Ravi Waidyalankara was suddenly sacked as Head of the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) today after a cabinet paper was presented at the weekly ministerial meeting by President Maithripala Sirisena recommending that his services be discontinued with immediate effect.
Waidyalankara was granted a service extension of eight months when he reached the age of 60 in May 2018. The extension was due to end on 23rd March 2019. The President’s cabinet paper drew wide support from among the UNP ministers Colombo Telegraph learns.
The Cabinet paper recommended that Waidyalankara’s services be discontinued with effect from 22nd February with nearly a month left of the cop’s extension to go.
DIG Ravi Waidyalankara
The shock sacking comes as allegations continue to swirl about the senior cop’s corruption and attempted sabotage of high profile investigations by the FCID into the dealings of top members of the Rajapaksa regime. The ex-FCID chief has brazenly maintained relationships with the very suspects his Division was supposed to be investigating, including former Secretary to the ministry of Defence Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Recently Waidyalankara caused serious concern in law enforcement circles when he was seen to be copying highly sensitive files pertaining to the investigation of the purchase of MiG-27 aircraftfor the Sri Lanka Air Force in 2006 – a highly suspect procurement with Gotabaya Rajapaksa and his cousin Udayanga Weeratunga at the very center of the corruption scandal. SDIG Waidyalankara seemed to show special interest in the MiG files at FCID shortly before boarding a flight to Singapore, where he was due to travel for medical treatment. However FCID investigations into the controversial military purchase have revealed that several suspects in the MiG investigation reside in Singapore raising grave suspicion about Waidyalankara’s moves.
Weeks later a similar incident was reported with SDIG Waidyalanka attempting to move files related to the Krrish deal investigation. Namal Rajapaksa, Nalaka Godahewa and others are at the center of the Krrish corruption scandal.
Waidyalankara was also known to be hand in glove with Sri Lankan businessman Rienzie Edwardswho has been indicted in the United States for money laundering.
Colombo Telegraph can now reveal that an order by a US judge that local accounts linked to Edwards and his partners in Sri Lanka be frozen was referred to the FCID for action. However the accounts remained active and the funds were dispersed before the US Government could recover what was suspected to be funds defrauded in the US territory and channelled to Sri Lankan banks.
