JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake said today that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has to explain how the police Financial Crimes Investigations Division recorded a statement from Shiranthi Rajapaksa at the Speaker’s Official Residence.

Speaking at a press conference today, Dissanayake said that Wickremesinghe should explain if he influenced the FCID, on a request made by former president Mahinda Rajapaksa over the phone.

Dissanayake also alleged that the ‘Rajapaksa-clan’ was responsible for some of the major financial mal-practices in the country. Basil Rajapaksa is accused of fraud in Divi Naguma Project and Gotabaya Rajapaksa is behind Avant-Garde and ‘MiG deal’, Dissanayake said. Yoshitha Rajapaksa is behind CSN and Namal Rajapaksa is responsible for the Rs 78 million lost by Khettarama Stadium due to removing bulbs for night races, he alleged.

Shiranthi Rajapaksa is responsible for fraud at Siriliya Saviya and Pushpa Rajapaksa (wife of Basil Rajapaksa) is responsible for fraud at Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation, the JVP leader also said. He accused Mahinda Rajapaksa’s brother-in-law Nishantha Wickramasinghe for fraud at SriLankan Airlines and added that Rajapaksa’s cousin Udayanga Weeratunga was responsible for arms deals with Ukraine rebels.

Dissanayake also said Rajapaksa himself was responsible for bribing the LTTE.

People gave a vote to Maithripala Sirisena on January 8 to punish those responsible and recover the lost wealth, he added. However, the investigations on these are moving at a snail’s pace, Dissanayake stated, accusing the government of soft-pedaling on investigations.