T-shirts with Mahinda’s image printed with Rs. 7.8 million of government money! CID ordered to immediately arrest Basil Rajapaksha and others!

Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena today (29) ordered the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to arrest and produce several suspects, including former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, over allegations that Rs. 7.8 million from the Tourism Promotion Bureau was used for campaigning during the Uva Provincial Council election.

The order was issued during a hearing into the case involving former Minister Basil Rajapaksa, former Tourism Promotion Bureau Chairman Bhashwara Gunaratne, and former Managing Director Rumi Jauffer.

The CID informed court that in 2014, approximately 12,000 T-shirts worth Rs. 7.8 million were printed using Tourism Promotion Bureau funds under the guise of tourism promotion activities. The T-shirts reportedly carried the image of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on one side and the name of a major political party on the other, and were distributed during a political rally held in the Monaragala District.

The CID further stated that although steps had been taken to arrest the suspects, they were no longer in the relevant areas.

Following submissions made on the advice of the Attorney General to name the individuals as suspects under the Public Property Act, the Magistrate ordered their immediate arrest and production before court. The court also imposed a foreign travel ban on the suspects.