The Attorney General (AG) has filed indictments against Yoshitha Rajapaksa and his grandmother, Daisy Forrest Wickramasinghe, in connection with a money laundering case, at Colombo High Court.
Investigations into a Rs. 59 million joint account held by Rajapaksa and Forrest revealed that Rajapaksa failed to provide a reasonable explanation for the source of the funds.
The case dates back to an investigation initiated by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) under the ‘Good Governance’ government. In 2017, the FCID informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that they had sought the AG’s advice regarding legal action over a 31.5-perch property in Sirimal Uyana, Ratmalana, valued at Rs. 36 million. The property, which includes a house, was allegedly purchased by Rajapaksa using laundered money.
The land was registered under the name of Daisy Forrest, Rajapaksa’s 89-year-old grandmother, also known as “Daisy Achchi.” She was arrested in connection with the case but was later released on bail.
In 2016, Colombo Additional Magistrate Augusta Atapattu issued an order to the Nugegoda Land Registrar, preventing the sale or transfer of ownership of the Ratmalana property.
