Uncle charging 10% and nephew competing with 12 ½%

| by A Special Corespondent in Colombo

( April 05, 2012, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The assassinated Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickramatunga went to the great length to investigate the illegal 10% commission charging by the President’s brother Basil Rajapakse in awarding contracts. Just before Lasantha’s murder, it was revealed that some he undertook an investigation to find startling evidence of Basil taking big commissions when awarding contracts. Before the editor could put the pen on the paper, he was bumped off in the broad day light in Colombo.

With the death of Lasantha the 10% commission business of Basil has been swept under the carpet due to dumfounded silence maintained by the investigative journalism in Sri Lanka. Lasantha’s death numbed the media altogether and Basil’s commission spree went on without questions being asked by anyone.

According to information received by Sri Lanka Guardian, the President’s son and Basil’s nephew Namal Rajapakse has entered the commission taking market of the Rajapakse family. He is said to be charging 12 ½ % on land deals based on project or land value given for development work. Without commission, there is no land deals with Namal Rajapakse says the source.

However, further investigations revealed few land deals have been undertaken free of commission to project a clean image of Namal Rajapakse.