Lankan graft panel summons former ministers, lawmaker

Five former ministers and a lawmaker were yesterday summoned by the Bribery Commission over ongoing investigations into disproportionate assets cases, while two fresh complaints have been filed against two ministers, local media reported.Former ministers Johnston Fernando, Reginold Cooray, Rohitha Abeygunawardena and Lakshman Wasantha Perera and lawmaker Sajin Vass Gunawardena were summoned by the commission, The Sunday Times reported.A source said Fernando had been asked to produce details of his assets before the watchdog.The complaint against Minister of Industry and Commerce Rishard Bathiudeen was that he amassed wealth illegally, after entering politics.The complaint was lodged against Bathiudeen on Friday by a businessman from Moosali, Mannar, who claimed that the minister or his family did not own a motorcycle before 2000, but now owned mansions in Puttalam and Colombo, and land in Puttalam and in Mannar.Petitioner Rasik Mohamed Quaithir Khan, 49, stated that the minister owns a luxury mansion worth millions in Colombo. He requested the commission to obtain the declarations made by Bathiudeen to the election commissioner in 2000, 2001, 2004 and 2010, to compare the assets.However, Bathiudeen in a statement to the commission, said that the allegations were politically motivated.“The allegations are politically motivated and are made by a former candidate who contested the 2013 Northern PC elections under Sri Lanka Muslim Congress and lost,” he said.Earlier this week, a complaint was also filed against Minister Rajitha Senaratne.