Now, cops pan for ‘Rajapaksa gold’ 

by Norman Palihawadane and Anton Fernando-January 14, 2016, 7:47 am

Sri Lanka Labour Party leader and entrepreneur ASP Liyanage yesterday challenged those who had spread false stories that gold and money belonging to former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had been buried under the sand-filled swimming pool of his peacock mansion at Pelawatte to come and see for themselves whether there was anything hidden there.

"I lodged a complaint at the police headquarters and asked the police to come and remove the sand from the swimming pool so that the entire world could see

whether there are any gold or money hidden beneath it. Some websites have reported that gold and cash belonging to the former President have been covered in polythene and buried in the sand," Liyanage told journalists outside police headquarters after lodging a complaint with the IGP.

"I intended to offer my peacock mansion to the former President because he did not have a place to live in Colombo after losing the January 08 election. An astrologer who conducted the rituals to bless the house instructed that the location of the swimming pool inside the mansion could have malefic effects for the persons living there. Thus, I decided to fill it with sand some eight months ago. Later on the former President changed his mind and did not accept my offer," Liyanage said.

He said that many rumours of non-existing wealth of former President had been spread during the recent past. "The place belongs to me and I am responsible for whatever that is there. I can assure that there is neither gold nor cash there," Liyanage said.

Police headquarters contacted for comment said that they would conduct investigations into the complaint with regard to the sand-filled swimming pool in the 700 million rupee mansion.

Welikada Police said that they would commence investigating the complaint today.