Social Empowerment Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayake was summoned to the CID yesterday, to give a statement regarding the bungalow in Kataragama belonging to the former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.
Speaking to the Daily News, Ramanayake said he had reported to the CID last afternoon and gave a statement regarding this bungalow that is allegedly being built on land belonging to the Kataragama Reserve.
He said although Gotabhaya Rajapaksa claims that he does not own any property in Sri Lanka, had allegedly built a luxury house in his name in Kataragama.
“This is a violation under the Public Property Act and now he is renting this bungalow out as well. This was initially exposed by the ‘Lanka’ newspaper and at the time Gotabhaya Rajapaksa was the Defence Secretary and he head allegedly threatened the publication for publishing news against him. In fact, he allegedly received help from the then Basnayake Nilame Shashendra Rajapaksa for this illegal construction. He allegedly threatened many journalists and attacked media institutions that went against him at the time,” Deputy Minister Ramanayake said.