Manoj Gamage, a lawyer representing the Rajapaksa family, has attempted to clarify financial irregularities associated with the ‘Siriliya Saviya’ organization operated by former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa.
His explanation during a recent media briefing mirrors the infamous “Daisy Achchi’s Gem Bag” narrative. Defending the funds, Gamage claimed: “When a village temple’s Dayaka Sabha collects money to build a stupa, but someone else steps in and completes the construction, that collected money is not refunded to the donors. Instead, it is retained and used for other merits of the temple.”
A number of lawyers, including Sagara Kariyawasam, Premanath C. Dolawatte, and Udaya Gammanpila, have previously issued similar statements to the media to mislead the public.
Meanwhile, Shiranthi Rajapaksa, who collected funds from state and private banks under the pretext of procuring a PET scanner for the Maharagama Cancer Hospital, departed for Singapore yesterday (16) to receive medical treatment.
