The Hiru website has reported that journalist Uvindu Kurukulasuriya revealed that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had paid hospital bills for the wives of JVP members Lakshman Nipunaarachchi and Nihal Galappatti using funds from the President’s Fund, according to a post made on his Facebook page.
According to Hiru, Uvindu Kurukulasuriya stated that this disclosure comes amid ongoing discussions surrounding a Right to Information (RTI) request initiated by Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekara, seeking details of medical assistance received by politicians from the President’s Fund.
The controversy reportedly began following a statement made in Parliament by MP Nalinda Jayatissa, who claimed that a hospital bill amounting to one million rupees had been paid to Dayasiri Jayasekara from the President’s Fund.
In response, Dayasiri Jayasekara formally requested the Presidential Secretariat to disclose information on all politicians who benefited from the President’s Fund between 2005 and 2010, under the Right to Information Act. However, according to Uvindu’s note, the Presidential Secretariat initially refused to release the requested information.
Subsequently, the MP filed an appeal with the Right to Information Commission (RTI Commission), requesting access to the Cash Book, which records all government payments, even if individual files were unavailable.
The note further states that after considering the appeal, the RTI Commission ordered the Presidential Secretariat to allow the MP to inspect the relevant cash book. However, the cash book has still not been made available to him.
According to Uvindu Kurukulasuriya, the reason for this delay is that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa had paid hospital bills for the wives of Lakshman Nipunaarachchi and Nihal Galappatti using funds from the President’s Fund.
The Facebook note shared by Uvindu Kurukulasuriya reads as follows:
“The case that Dayasiri is dragging is going to be settled. Nalinda also said in Parliament that President Sirisena paid Daya a hospital bill of one million rupees. So Daya asked for details of the money paid to politicians from the President’s Fund from 2005 to 2010. The President’s Office said it could not be given. Daya appealed to the RTI Commission. There, the Secretary from the President’s Secretariat said that it was not there. Daya said that even so, the cash book cannot be lost and that he wants to see it. The Commission ordered that the cash book be shown to Daya. It is still not being shown. Do you know the reason? Mahinda Rajapaksa paid the hospital bills of Nipunarachchi and Galappatti’s wife from the President’s Fund. The appeal will be heard again at 12 o’clock.”
