Present government connected to culprits of Central Bank fraud and Easter Sunday attack - Champika Ranawaka

Sri Lanka Opposition Samagi Jana Balavegaya MP Champika Ranawaka said that the government of President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had failed to bring the culprits of financial fraud of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka and to investigate the forces behind the Easter Sunday attack.

He alleged the government was not taking action to bring former Governor of Central Bank Arjun Mahendran from Singapore because the fraudsters who had engaged in this kind of theft since 2008 are now partners of the present government.

The opposition MP made these allegations at a press conference held by the People's Opposition today in Colombo 

Ranawaka thanked former President Maithripala Sirisena for investigating the incident, arresting the suspects, freezing the accounts of the fraudsters, conducting forensic audit and discussing with Singapore government to bring back Mahendran. 

Champika Ranawaka said that the political coup on October 26, 2018 affected the country's security and other sectors due to the disunity created by the coup between President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa. 

He accused that the present government is investigating only the negligence of the former President, Secretary to the Ministry of Defense and the Inspector General of Police etc. ignoring the other crucial nodes of the attack.

"But the most important thing is that two leading politicians of the present government reportedly supported Zahran Hashim to escape Kattankudy as police were after him following the violence there in 2017. Such matters are not investigated," Ranawaka accused. 

He also demanded the government to investigate the allegations that state intelligence wings had supported National Thawheed Jamaath and intelligence officers going to meet the suicide bomber who conducted the blast at Dehiwala.  

Ranawaka said that the government was not investigating the elements who were behind Zahran Hashim because the powerful elements of the present government had personal relationships with them, as reported. 

"The government has not done justice to the promises they delivered during election on these two issues and COVID-19 is not relevant to the failure," Champika Ranawaka stressed.  

(See the press conference here>>)

New Governor of Sabaragamuwa; Victim and chosen

(July 06, 2009) President Mahinda Rajapaksa has appointed his relative Janaka Priyantha Bandara as the new Governor of the Sabaragamuwa Province to fill the vacancy that was created by  the sudden demise of former Sabaragamuwa Governor, Mohan Saliya Ellawala on 12th  May 2009.

In 2005, when he was the Magistrate of Wellawaya, Janaka Bandara was nterdicted by the Judicial Service Commission after he issued a warrant on Senior Superintendent of Police Sherief Deen, who was alleged to be involved in a fatal accident case.  Then President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka Desmond Fernando criticized this interdiction as an unfair unilateral action former Chief Justice without consulting the other members of the Judicial Services Commission. 

Janaka Priyantha Bandara was later appointed as Public Trustee and he was compelled to resign following detrimental remarks made by the former Chief Justice regarding the Public Trustee during the hearing of a Fundamental Rights petition filed by an employee of the Public Trustee Department in 2008. 

Later, he was appointed as the Ambassador of Sri Lanka to United Arab Emirates.

Janaka Bandara, whose father was believed assassinated by the People's Liberation Front (JVP) rebels during the 1987-89 insurrection was a prominent member of Janatha Mithuro, a political movement initiated by present Minister of Environment Champika Ranawaka in 1993 following the suppression of theJVP.

Strife within Sri Lanka government pro and against the implementation of the 13th amendment to the constitution

Sri Lanka Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) chief strategist Champika Ranawaka issued a severe warning to the government on June 29, 2009 at a press conference held in Colombo. He warned JHU would resign from the government if it proceeded in fully implementing or exceeding the 13th amendment to the constitution.


With this statement Champika outshines as a leader of a party that would not appease with a post of cabinet minister, several MPs and Provincial Councilors. He shows that the JHU will take the challenges in power politics and will march forward. 


It is a challenge to the JHU's main contender People's Liberation Front (JVP) as well. In the recent years, JVP's political strategy was parallel to the JHU's. 


In the post-Tamil Tiger period, clear division can be seen among the second level leaders of the government regarding the implementation of the 13th amendment to the constitution that was introduced in 1987 under the influence of India. Provincial Councils were established under it in 1988 but they were not fully implemented with police and land powers. 

Unofficial sources say that India has stressed Sri Lanka to fully implement the 13th amendment when a top level government delegation visited the regional power center recently. It is understood that the top leadership of the government remains silent diplomatically although they are not interested in power sharing with Tamils. 


Meanwhile, the National Freedom Front (JNP) has also begun campaigning against the 13th amendment and a seminar organized by party front organization Patriotic National Movement is to be held on July 07 in Colombo.

We learn that lobbying within the government against the 13th amendment has already begun but many ministers remain vigilant regarding the developments without taking a stance. They wait for the sides to gather momentum amidst local and foreign influence. 


Meanwhile, the All Party Representative Committee (APRC) that was appointed by the President to propose ways for power devolution is going to propose to exceed the 13th amendment to the constitution with clearly defining the powers of the Provincial Council and the Center. The concurrent list is to be abrogated accordingly, in addition to some other constitutional reforms. JHU also represented the APRC that was chaired by Minister of Science and Technology Thissa Vitharana, a member of the Trotskyist Lanka Samasamaja Party.

June 30, 2009