Former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa today filed a case against the Urban Development Authority (UDA) for taking over a property given on lease to the D.A. Rajapaksa foundation. 

The UDA went on to reacquire the property due to allegations that the building had been used by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, his family and supporters for personal purposes. 

The UDA said using the property for personal purposes amounted to violation of the lease agreement signed between the two parties. 

The property was leased out to the foundation on a request made by the then Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa to the then Minister of Western Region Development M. H. Mohamed on April 5, 2003,

According to a cabinet paper approved on September 22, 2003, two plots of lands, one at No: 236/ 1, Denzil Kobbekaduwa Mawatha, Battaramulla, and the other in Gampaha for the D. A. Rajapaksa Memorial Educational, Cultural and Social Services Foundation were given on a 30 year lease agreement for an annual lease of Rs.163,125.

Although the request made by Mahinda Rajapaksa was to construct a building to house a vocational training centre and a dormitory for the inmates, neither a Vocational Training Centre, nor a dormitory had been built as promised.  

Instead, one plot of land was used to construct the Carlton Sports Network (CSN) office and studio and the other for a party office in Gampaha, respectively.