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The National People’s’ Power (NPP) MP Vijitha Herath today urged the Government to reveal the actual owner of the Rosetti Ltd., the Company which was set up by former parliamentarian Nirupama Rajapaksa and her husband Thirukumar Nadesan in the Jersey Island as exposed by the Pandora papers.

He told Parliament that the Government could not keep quiet on the incident claiming that it was a personal account and that the Government has a responsibility to educate the people on this matter.

He said the Government should reveal who had the official registration of Rosetti Ltd. and whether the bank account connected to it was under the name of Nirupama Rajapaksa or Thirukumar Nadesan or if it was a joint-account.

“According to Pandora Papers, the account was opened in 1991. The Money laundering Act was enacted in Sri Lanka in 2006. It should be revealed whether money had been channelled to this account after the Money laundering Act was enacted. How much money has been channelled and how the money has been channeled,” he said.

The MP said several individuals such as Vidya Amarapala were listed in such papers for similar incidents and said this was the first time where a politician was listed in an incident of this nature.

“The previous Government did not take any action when Vidya Amarapala’s name was revealed. He fled to Australia and the incident went uninvestigated thereafter,” he said.

He said the Government should reveal its stance whether action would be taken against the culprits under Money Laundering Act, if money had been channeled to the particular account after 2006.

Sri Lanka Tuesday reported 40 deaths due to COVID-19 after the figures were confirmed by the Director General of Health Services on Monday, October 04.

Among the deaths reported today, 22 are of males and 18 of females. The majority of deaths – 36- are of elderly people in the 60 years and above age group.

According to the data reported by the Government Information Department, the total deaths due to Covid-19 since the pandemic began last year has now risen to 13,142.

While explaining that all 100 oil tanks in Trincomalee have already been handed over to India based on Indo Lanka agreements signed in 1987 and 2003, Minister of Energy Udaya Gammanpila stated that the Government’s focus is to reacquire these tanks.

He made these statements at a press conference held today (04).

Gammanpila also dismissed allegations leveled against him which claimed that he, together with the Indian Foreign Secretary, visited the tanks.

“A certain Opposition Parliamentary showed a photograph of a helicopter claiming it was myself and the Indian Foreign Secretary travelling to Trincomalee. I wish to responsibly state that I have not travelled in a helicopter with anyone since I was appointed as the Minister,” he said.

He also added that the Foreign Secretary has not even requested a discussion with him.

“According to information from India, my subject will not be a matter which will be discussed,” Gammanpila explained.

Meanwhile, in response to Ven. Dr Omalpe Sobitha Thero claims which suggest that this is an attempt to give away 85 oil tanks to India, Gammanpila stated that the country does not have that many tanks to give away.

“We do not possess 85 tanks to give away. I want remind him that the UNP has already done that,” he said.

The Pandora Papers, which has exposed the secret wealth and dealings of world leaders, politicians and billionaires in one of the biggest leaks of financial documents, last night stirred up the high ranks within the government and political circles in Sri Lanka as former parliamentarian Nirupama Rajapaksa was documented in it.

The papers have been put together by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and over 600 journalists the world over, in the largest collaboration in journalism history.

The Daily Mirror learns that the matter will be discussed within the high ranks today as some leaders such as Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan have already vowed to investigate the claims against all the citizens documented in the papers.

Nirupama Rajapaksa has been documented in the Pandora Papers as a ruling party member.

She was a former member of parliament.

According to the Pandora Papers, it is alleged that Nirupama Rajapaksa and her husband Thirukumar Nadesan together controlled a shell company they used to buy luxury apartments in London and Sydney and to make investments, according to leaked files.

It is alleged that Nadesan set up other shell companies and trusts in secrecy jurisdictions, and he used them to obtain lucrative consulting contracts from foreign companies doing business with the Sri Lankan government and to buy artwork.

According to the Pandora Paper leaks, in 2018, one of the companies, Pacific Commodities, transferred 31 paintings and other South Asian art pieces to the Geneva Freeport, an ultra-secure warehouse where assets are not subject to taxes or duties.

In confidential emails to Asiaciti Trust, a Singapore-based offshore services provider, a long-time adviser of Nadesan’s put his overall wealth, as of 2011, at more than $160 million. ICIJ said it couldn’t independently verify the figure. It was alleged that Asiaciti Trust managed some of Nadesan’s offshore companies and trusts, with assets valued at about $18 million, according to an ICIJ analysis.

The firm listed him as a politically connected individual because of his wife’s political position. asiaciti kept the family as clients even after Nadesan was charged with embezzlement in 2016.

Rajapaksa and Nadesan declined to answer ICIJ’S questions about their trusts and companies, the ICIJ said.

The government is considering halting the appointment of Dr. Jagath Wellawatte as Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to Australia, The Morning learnt.

It is learnt that the government is looking at nominating another in place of Wellawatte.

Foreign Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris and Foreign Secretary Jayanath Colombage were not available for comment despite several attempts by The Morning to receive confirmation on the matter.

Wellawatte is the former Chairman of the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) and was nominated as the High Commissioner-designate to Australia in July this year.