4 October 2021 08:24 am Views - 27967
The Pandora Papers, which has exposed the secret wealth and dealings of world leaders, politicians and billionaires in one of the biggest leaks of financial documents, last night stirred up the high ranks within the government and political circles in Sri Lanka as former parliamentarian Nirupama Rajapaksa was documented in it.
The papers have been put together by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) and over 600 journalists the world over, in the largest collaboration in journalism history.
The Daily Mirror learns that the matter will be discussed within the high ranks today as some leaders such as Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan have already vowed to investigate the claims against all the citizens documented in the papers.
Nirupama Rajapaksa has been documented in the Pandora Papers as a ruling party member.
She was a former member of parliament.
According to the Pandora Papers, it is alleged that Nirupama Rajapaksa and her husband Thirukumar Nadesan together controlled a shell company they used to buy luxury apartments in London and Sydney and to make investments, according to leaked files.
It is alleged that Nadesan set up other shell companies and trusts in secrecy jurisdictions, and he used them to obtain lucrative consulting contracts from foreign companies doing business with the Sri Lankan government and to buy artwork.
According to the Pandora Paper leaks, in 2018, one of the companies, Pacific Commodities, transferred 31 paintings and other South Asian art pieces to the Geneva Freeport, an ultra-secure warehouse where assets are not subject to taxes or duties.
In confidential emails to Asiaciti Trust, a Singapore-based offshore services provider, a long-time adviser of Nadesan’s put his overall wealth, as of 2011, at more than $160 million. ICIJ said it couldn’t independently verify the figure. It was alleged that Asiaciti Trust managed some of Nadesan’s offshore companies and trusts, with assets valued at about $18 million, according to an ICIJ analysis.
The firm listed him as a politically connected individual because of his wife’s political position. asiaciti kept the family as clients even after Nadesan was charged with embezzlement in 2016.
Rajapaksa and Nadesan declined to answer ICIJ’S questions about their trusts and companies, the ICIJ said.(JAMILA HUSAIN)