Is the government hunting old scams silent on allegations against Dhammika Perera?
Does the law apply equally to everyone? Or does it change in the face of the powerful?
The current government has stated on several occasions that it will conduct investigations into alleged scams, corruption, and the misuse of public funds that took place during previous regimes, and that the law will be enforced against wrongdoers.
Investigations have been carried out regarding former politicians and public officials. In some instances, arrests and legal steps have also been taken. That is a matter of satisfaction.
If so, the public has every right to ask another fair question.
If exposing the scams of previous governments is the policy of the administration, will other transactions alleged to be linked to political power and large-scale business power also be investigated with the same standard?
One group of events that needs attention here is the allegations published by the Lanka e News website regarding prominent businessman Dhammika Perera.
What is the Rs. 35 billion tax allegation?....
In an article published on January 1, 2024, the Lanka e News website made a serious allegation regarding a tax amount of Rs. 35 billion concerning Dhammika Perera.
That article also mentioned an allegation of a tax and export fraud of around 50 million Euros.
When questions are raised about such massive amounts of money, they should not be confined merely to political debates.
How was that money calculated? Which companies are involved? Has a tax assessment been issued? Has a tax arrears officially been confirmed? Has an investigation been conducted regarding this?
Answers to these must be provided based on the records of the Inland Revenue Department and other relevant institutions.
There is a point that needs to be clarified here. Just because an allegation appears in a Lanka e News article does not make it the truth. Likewise, if it has not been refuted by an official investigation, it cannot be considered an allegation to be dismissed either.
The correct answer lies in a transparent official investigation and its results.
Bicycle Export Allegation: Did the BOI check old files?....
On May 21, 2025, Lanka e News alleged in another article that there were issues regarding bicycle export transactions related to the period when Dhammika Perera held the chairmanship of the Board of Investment (BOI).
That article raised questions regarding bicycles manufactured abroad being introduced as goods manufactured in Sri Lanka and sent to the European market. It was also stated that an internal investigation was initiated and later stopped.
To confirm whether those allegations are true, relevant investigation reports, export documents, certificates of product origin, and customs reports are required.
In 2013, the European Union applied the anti-dumping duties previously imposed on Chinese bicycles to bicycles routed through certain countries as well. Matters regarding the transshipment of goods through Sri Lanka were also discussed at that point.
However, that European Union document alone does not prove that Dhammika Perera personally committed a fraud of 50 million Euros. Those are two different matters.
Yet, it is fair to examine official records based on both that document and the Lanka e News allegations.
If so, after the current government came to power, did the BOI and Sri Lanka Customs re-examine the old files regarding these transactions?
If examined, what were the results? If not examined, why is that?
Waste Containers from Britain: Who bears the responsibility?....
The incident regarding the containers containing waste imported from Britain to Sri Lanka cannot be forgotten here either.
It was reported that the containers that arrived in the country during the 2017–2019 period contained hazardous materials, including clinical waste, along with used mattresses, carpets, and other materials. Later, a process of shipping that waste back to Britain took place.
The role of the company Hayleys Free Zone in relation to this incident was also publicly exposed. Hayleys Free Zone Limited is a company belonging to the Hayleys PLC group, where Dhammika Perera served as a co-chairman.
In July 2019, the Board of Investment (BOI) stated that 130 containers containing used mattresses and carpets imported from Britain had been brought into a free trade zone premises connected to Hayleys Free Zone with the intention of re-exportation. The BOI also stated that written instructions were given to the company in January 2018 regarding the failure to re-export those goods as required.
Hayleys stated that the ownership of the goods belonged to another company and that they only provided a re-export service.
Therefore, the party that imported the goods, their owner, the companies that handled the transportation, and the parties that bore the responsibility of re-exporting must be identified separately.
While presenting this incident as a final court verdict confirming Dhammika Perera's personal criminal liability would not be correct, the questions arising from that matter do not disappear either.
Under what legal mechanism were the containers brought into the country? Did the relevant institutions inspect them? Were the conditions of re-exportation violated? Were the parties that should bear responsibility identified and legal action taken?
In an incident like this, what the public wants is not just statements, but the truth revealed by official investigations.
Could there be allegations irrelevant to the government hunting old scams?.....
Since the current government came to power, investigations have been launched into alleged scams and corruption that occurred during the previous regimes. Instances where arrests and legal steps have been taken regarding former politicians and public officials have also been reported.
If that is the case, it is fair to demand an official clarification regarding the allegations published concerning Dhammika Perera.
What is being requested of the government here is not to declare anyone guilty in advance. What is being requested is to examine whether the allegations are true or not according to the law.
Did the Inland Revenue Department conduct an investigation regarding the Rs. 35 billion tax allegation?
Were the old records of the BOI and Customs re-examined regarding the bicycle export allegation?
What are the legal actions taken regarding the relevant companies and responsible individuals in the waste container incident?
Have complaints been received regarding these allegations? If received, what is their current status?
Answers to these questions must be given not based on assumptions, but on documents and evidence.
What is political accountability?...
The fight against corruption is not merely filing lawsuits against political opponents. It is ensuring that the law applies equally to everyone.
The standard of investigations must not change based on political power, business power, the size of companies, or an individual's social status.
If there is an allegation against someone, it must be examined based on evidence. If the allegation is not confirmed, it must be clarified. If a violation of the law is confirmed, the relevant legal steps must be taken.
Instead, if investigations are carried out only regarding certain allegations while no explanation is provided regarding others, it leaves room for the public to harbor reasonable suspicion and raise questions.
A controversial statement made by Somawansa Amarasinghe, who served as the leader of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), while participating in a television program named "Atta" is currently spreading rapidly on social media.
In it, Somawansa Amarasinghe states that when the JVP's official newspaper, Lanka, launched severe criticism regarding Dhammika Perera's businesses, the current Minister of Foreign Affairs, Vijitha Herath, who was in charge of the newspaper at the time, flew into a rage and threatened the editor of the paper.
Somawansa Amarasinghe also stated in that interview that Vijitha Herath claimed that the funds to maintain the Lanka newspaper were provided by Dhammika Perera.
In such a situation, the credibility of the current government rests not in enforcing the law only against those who opposed them, but in its commitment to fairly investigate even allegations concerning individuals who are politically or economically important to them.
Ultimately, what the public wants is not more political promises.
What is needed are open investigations, official reports, clear answers, and decisions taken according to the law.
The law against corruption must apply equally to the political opponent, the powerful businessman, the political ally, and the public official.
Fulfilling that is the responsibility of the government. Questioning it is the right of the public.
Jayalathge Sunil Gamini✍️
