NAMALS THEATRICS AND THE INSIDE STORY

OF HELLOCORP

15 October, 2017

Gowers Corporate Services, the controversial legal and consultancy firm linked to
parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, is making headlines again with Ornella Iresha
Silva, a Director of the Company and a former Private Secretary to Rajapaksa,
being arrested by Police at the Airport, earlier this week.
The money laundering case involving Namal Rajapaksa is significant as it is the
most serious court case against a member of the former first family, at the
moment.

Although some of the family members are under investigation for more serious
cases, the Attorney Generals Department is yet to indict them.
Knotty
 The story of Gowers Corporation Services is knotty
and convoluted.

It all started with a company named HelloCorp, initially a fully owned subsidiary of
ExpoLanka Holdings, which was later acquired by the young parliamentarian, who
was the heir apparent in the Rajapaksa administration.

HelloCorp was formed in 2002 as one of the first Business Processing Outsourcing
(BPO) companies in Sri Lanka, offering service to local and overseas clients.

At the time of the companys formation, Rajapaksa was a Grade 11 student of the
S. Thomas College, Mount Lavinia, who had little interest in business and politics.

During the period 2012-13, one of its flagship clients was SriLankan Airlines, with
which HellopCorp had a business agreement for coordinating services.

Around that time, SriLankan Airlines was run by Nishantha Wickremasinghe, the
brother of former first lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa and maternal uncle of Namal
Rajapaksa.

It can be safely assumed that HelloCorps lucrative agreement with SriLankan was
the flash that caught the eye of the young Rajapaksa.

Ornella and Senani

The 31-year-old Parliamentarian, according to a B report filed in court by the

Police Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) in this regard, had taken over
HelloCorp through Gowers Corporate Services. At the time of the transaction, the
directors of GCS were Ornella Iresha Silva and Nithya Senani Samaranayake, two
close associates of Namal Rajapaksa.
Ornella was the Private Secretary to the young Parliamentarian and
Samaranayake was the controversial air hostess attached to SriLankan Airlines,
who was released to work for the Presidential Secretariat at an exorbitant salary.

GCS was first owned by NR Consultancy Pvt. Limited, a legal consultancy firm
owned by Rajapaksa. Then the company ownership was transferred directly to
Rajapaksa.

Directors and key executive staff of NR Consultancy were Lakshman Namal

Rajapaksa (Holder of all shares), Nithya Samaranayake (Director), Ornella Iresha
Silva (Legal Officer), Sudarshan Ganegoda (Director), Sujani Bogollagama (Chief
Executive Officer), Dilrukshi Mahanama (Accountant) and Vasitha Pinnawala
(Project Officer).

The FCID informed court that the ownership of HelloCorp was acquired through
laundered money, using a trove of false invoices and documents to prove that NR
Consultancy had sufficient avenues of income.

The company which is at the centre of the money laundering charges is NR

Consultancy and that is why legal actions have been filed against its directors and
key executives.

It is also important to understand that these directors were selected not because
of their professional or educational qualifications, but rather due to their personal
relationship and affiliation with Namal Rajapaksa. So, on the surface, it seemed
they formed a close-knit circle of friends making multi million rupee deals through
a few lesser-known companies.

The first complaint in this regard was lodged by former JVP Parliamentarian
Wasantha Samarasinghe who also leads an organization named Voice Against
Corruption. In his complaint, Samarasinghe alleged that MP Namal Rajapaksa had
bought shares of a company named Hello Corp and set up a company called
Gowers Corporate Services while being an MP with Rs.125 million earned through
illegal means.
Indictment

It is in this context that the Attorney Generals Department, based on the FCIDs
findings, filed indictments against Namal Rajapaksa, Indika Karunajeewa, Sujani
Bogollagama, Iresha Silva, Senani Samaranayake and Gowers Corporate Services
on 11 counts under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act for their alleged
involvement in money laundering amounting to Rs.30 million in a company
(Gowers Corporate Services) owned by Namal Rajapaksa.

However, the second, fourth and sixth accused Indika Karunajeewa, Iresha Silva
and Gowers Corporate Services were not present in Court when the case was
taken up for hearing, but represented by attorneys. It was later revealed that
Iresha Silva was not in the country and had avoided contact with the Sri Lankan
law enforcement authorities.

This led the Attorney Generals Department to seek the Colombo High Courts
intervention to arrest Iresha Silva.

Interpol warrant

Taking into consideration the facts presented by the Attorney Generals

Department, Colombo HC Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe issued a warrant through
Interpol for the arrest of Silva over her alleged involvement in the money
laundering case.

A day after the warrant was issued, Silva was arrested at the Bandaranaike
International Airport, in Katunayake, upon her return from the Middle East.

It was not entirely clear if Abu Dhabi authorities had executed the Interpol Red
Notice or she departed on a direct flight to Colombo to be arrested on arrival by
local authorities.

Her lawyer Sampath Mendis, however, informed court that Silva decided to
return to the country in order to face the High Court trial.
After being produced before the Colombo High Court, Silva was ordered to be
released on a cash bail of Rs. 500,000 with a surety bail of Rs. 5 million. The Court
further issued an order directing the Controller of Immigration and Emigration
that the accused be prevented from leaving the country.

The Attorney Generals Department did not raise objections to the defence
counsels request and Silva was released on bail just a few hours after her arrest.

The Colombo High Court has now fixed the money laundering case for trial on
February 16 and prosecution witnesses of the case were noticed to appear in
Court on the next trial date.
Next ordeal

Namal Rajapaksas next ordeal this week was the Police investigation into a
protest the Joint Opposition held in Hambantota against the governments plans
to develop the Mattala International Airport with the help of India.

A day before the protest, ASP SanathAmarasinghe and the Hambantota Police
OIC, Priyantha Abeysinghe sought a restraining order from the Hambantota
Magistrate preventing protesters from entering the vicinity of the Hambantota
Port, the Indian Consulate and the roads leading to the Hambantota Port.

Accordingly, the Hambantota Magistrate issued an injunction order and banned

the protesters from entering those areas. Despite the order, the Joint Opposition
said they would continue with the protest and there were early signs of
confrontations between the Police and the Joint Opposition protesters.
Police action

The protesters, led by Namal Rajapaksa, defied court order and held the protest
in front of the Indian Consulate in Hambantota, sending a strong negative
message to India.

In addition to anti-Indian slogans, they also chanted slogans against what they
termed the Chinese occupation in the district, referring to the PPP agreement
to develop the Hambantota international harbour.

It seemed as if the Rajapaksa group had declared war on the two economic giants
of the Asian region India and China.

Not surprisingly, the demonstration led to a clash between the Police and the
protesters as the Police had to use teargas and water cannons to disperse them.
The Police initially arrested 26 protesters and summoned several
Parliamentarians involved in the protest to record statements.

Among them were Namal Rajapaksa, D.V. Chanaka, Prasanna Ranaweera and
Provincial Council member Upali Kodikara.

Rajapaksa, Chanaka, Ranaweera and three others were arrested after questioning
and produced before court. They were remanded for two weeks for violating
court order and causing inconvenience to the public.

UNHRC help

Interestingly, a few minutes after the arrest, Rajapaksa, who usually has an active
social media presence, tweeted saying they were arrested for conducting a
peaceful demonstration. He also tagged the UNHRC in his tweet, giving the
impression that he is seeking support from the UN Human Rights Council to
obviate Police action.

Rajapaksas move has given rise to two important questions: Firstly, it raises a
serious question as to how he is allowed to use his mobile and tweet while in
Police custody.

Secondly, it brings the validity of his political slogans into question as the UNHRC
was anathema to their political camp, not so long ago.

Ironically, the Joint Opposition protest was held against the Indian and Chinese
investments in the Hambantota district, igniting xenophobic sentiments in the
minds of the public.
But, Rajapaksa, who led the protest, had no qualms about seeking support from
the UNHRC, a foreign body which they demonized over the past eight years.

This behaviour showcases the duplicitous behaviour and double standards, not
only of the young Parliamentarian, but also of the Joint Opposition.

Governments reaction

The Rajapaksas now lament about the Police action. But, when you hold a
demonstration defying a court order, you are inviting Police action. For instance,
when these Parliamentarians took part in the protest, they were aware that they
would be arrested. They invited Police action, attempting to make a political
drama out of it, a government spokesman said, commenting on the Hambantota
protest.

Apart from the Rajapaksa theatrics, another drama unfolded on the sidelines of
the protest. A person who claims to be a journalist was assaulted by a senior
Police officer in the heat of the moment. The footage of the assault went viral on
social media platforms over the weekend, earning mixed reactions.

It was later revealed that Susantha Bandara Karunaratne, the person claiming to
be a journalist, actively took part in the protest, holding placards and chanting
slogans.

Several photographs which surfaced later proved Karunaratnes active

involvement in the protest.

Sagala and Rajitha

Clarifying the matter, Law and Order Minister Sagala Ratnayaka said Karunaratne
was not attacked by the Police while carrying out the duties of a journalist.

This is not to justify the assault. But, we need to get our facts right, the Minister
said.
Karunaratne was among the protesters. He was seen holding placards and
chanting slogans. His involvement in the protest led to the confrontation with the
Police. None of the journalists covering the protest had problems with the Police,
he added.

The law should apply to both sides equally. While the Police officer is under
criticism for slapping a protester at the heat of the moment, it is also important to
know that Karunaratne was not assaulted while covering the protest as a
journalist. He was a protester actively taking part in the demonstration. The
incident has to be understood in the right context, Ratnayaka explained.

The matter surfaced at the weekly Cabinet briefing too. Journalists kept firing
questions at Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne over a journalist being
attacked by a Police officer during the protest.

I had been attacked by the Police during various protests. But I never showed my
stethoscope and said I was a doctor. I took part in those protests as a protester,
making political demands, Senaratne said, adding some senior Police officers
who salute him today, were among those who attacked him in the past.

Journalist Susantha Bandara Karunaratne taking part in the protest

SLFP cleans the stables

It looks like President Maithripala Sirisena is preparing for the Local Government
elections as he decided to remove three SLFP electorate organizers who had
affiliations with the Rajapaksa camp.

They were Kumara Welgama, Mahindananda Aluthgamage and Priyankara

Jayaratne regular faces in the Joint Opposition camp backing the former
President. Welgama, a senior Parliamentarian, was removed as the SLFP
Organizer for Matugama while Aluthgamage was removed as the Organizer for
Nawalapitiya.
Jayaratne, formerly a Deputy Minister of the national unity government, was
removed from his post as the SLFP Organizer for Puttalam.

Former Minister Sumithra Priyangani Abeyweera, who held several positions

under the Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga administration, replaced
Welgama while Provincial Councillor H.A. Ranaisnghe replaced Aluthgamage.

The new changes give a clear indication that the SLFP is now on a mission to
create a clean second tier leadership within the party, before the Local
Government elections.

This also comes in the wake of the governments plan to introduce a new
electoral system ahead of the next election. The new electoral system will
reinstate the Ward system in the countrys political sphere, allowing
professionals and highly respected citizens to contest elections.

The real strength of the likes of Aluthgamage and Welgama lay in their ability to
throw money at their electorates.

They had strong support systems to finance election campaigns and a sufficient
number of supporters to canvas for them.
Such capabilities became essential to survive in politics as a result of the
Proportional Representation (PR) system, introduced in 1978 by the J.R.
Jayewardene administration .

Abeyweeras case is a classic example showcasing how the PR system tilted the
playing field in terms of the rich and the powerful, during elections.

She was first elected to Parliament in 1994 and held a deputy ministerial position
until 2000.

Abeyweera could not get reelected thereafter as she lacked the wherewithal to
survive in the electoral race. Many politicians, who did not get their hands dirty
with bribery and corruption allegations, fell by the wayside while those who were
able to throw money at their electorates emerged victorious.
The new electoral system is a good platform for such politicians to reinvent
themselves in the political sphere. The SLFPs move to appoint her indicates that
the partys determined to make the full use of the new electoral system and
strengthen a new brand of politicians, while vigorously cleaning its stables.

Posted by Thavam