Where has all the LTTE money gone, Ranil asks President

(January 12, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Where is all the money that belonged to the LTTE, asked Opposition leader Ranil Wickremasinghe yesterday. Addressing a public rally held in the Biyagama Delgoda pubic grounds in support of General Sarath Fonseka, he said that such LTTE money should be made use of to lessen the debt burden of the masses.

“On the 2nd December Mr. Keheliya Rambukwella told a newspaper that all of the LTTE assets had been found. He also said that steps were being taken to seize them and taken them over to the state.

“There are 14 vessels. Of these, five belong to KP. There are 600 bank accounts and a majority of them belong to KP. They have all the details and it was stated that steps are being taken to take these over to the state.

“It has been a month and we have seen only one vessel. I was named Christina. What happened to the other 13? Who do they belong to? KP is being accommodated at Visumpaya and is being given every comfort. Why can't these assets be retrieved? Who do they belong to? Is this with KP or with the company of brothers?

“I would like to ask Mahinda Rajapaksa why these things cannot be handed over to the government? I trust that Mahinda Rajapaksa will give us a reply by Friday.

“There are 600 bank accounts. The money should be taken and the people's debt reduced. Why has that not been done? It is because it has not been done that corruption will be suppressed after General Sarath Fonseka is elected to power. A new parliament will be established.

“The caretaker government of Sarath Fonseka will act to take over all these 13 ships and 600 bank accounts to the state after emergency rule is established in order to find out what kind of large scale theft has taken place,” said Ranil Wickremasinghe.