Jaliya Wickramasuriya

Last updated

Jaliya Wickramasuriya
Born
Matara, Sri Lanka
NationalitySri Lankan
Education Nalanda College Colombo
Occupation Diplomat
Known forSri Lankan Ambassador to
United States and Mexico
Relatives Mahinda Rajapaksa
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa
Prasanna Wickramasuriya
Udayanga Weeratunga
Basil Rajapaksa
Chamal Rajapaksa

Jaliya Wickramasuriya is a Sri Lankan businessmen. A close relative of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, he was the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States from 2008 to 2014, until the US government asked the Sri Lankan government to recall him. He has been accused of several financial crimes during his tenure. In April 2022, he pleaded guilty to diverting $332,000 of Sri Lankan government funds supposedly intended for the purchase of a new Embassy site. [1]

Contents

Family and education

Wickramasuriya was born in Matara to an aristocratic family. [2] [3] He is a son of Pema and Kamala Wickramasuriya née Rajapaksa, daughter of D. M. Rajapaksa and a first cousin of Mahinda Rajapaksa who served as President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015. Colonel Prasanna Wickramasuriya is his younger brother and brother-in-law of Colonel A. F. Lafir. He was educated at Nalanda College, Colombo.

Business career

He started his career in the tea industry, working at Dilmah. He went on to become the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Ceylon Royal Teas (Pvt) Ltd and was based in the United States exporting tea from Sri Lanka to the United States. [4] [5] [6] [7]

Diplomatic posting

Following his cousin's election as President of Sri Lanka, Wickramasuirya was appointed Consul General of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka in Los Angeles, California in 2005 and held the appointment till 2008. [8] [9] [10] In August 2008, he was appointed by President Rajapaksa as Ambassador of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the United States and Mexico. During his tenure, he was investigated by the IRS on tax evasion and the US government requested the government of Sri Lanka recall Wickramasuirya. As a result, Wickramasuirya was recalled to Sri Lanka in July 2014 and was replaced by Asela Weerakoon on a temporarily basis until Prasad Kariyawasam was appointed as the permanent ambassador. [11]

Guilty plea on misuse of state funds

The Police Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID) arrested him on 17 November 2016, after he tried to flee the country from Katunayake Airport, and was a suspect of allegedly accepting a USD $332,000 commission while serving as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States. [12] He was remanded by the courts on the same day. It is alleged that the money was used to purchase a house in the United States for his daughter, Sarindee. [13] [14]

An open warrant was issued in January 2018 in Colombo for his arrest in connection with those charges. [15] [16] He was allowed by Courts to travel for medical treatments, but later it was reported that he was missing and subsequently the court issued an open warrant. [17]

In April 2022, he pleaded guilty. According to Special Agent in Charge Ray Villanueva of HSI Washington, D.C., “Mr. Wickramasuriya attempted to use his position of authority to defraud his own government and steal from the people he represented. He did not expect the American authorities to get involved and call on HSI Washington, D.C. to investigate. Today he begins the process of paying for his crimes.” [1]

Accusation of money laundering

The United States Department of Justice has moved to indict Wickremesuriya on money laundering charges, following an investigation by the FBI and indictment by grand jury. The Sri Lankan Ministry of Foreign Affairs has waived the diplomatic immunity granted Wickramasuriya during his tenure as the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Washington. Wickremesuriya challenged the removal of immunity by way of a writ petition in Court of Appeal of Sri Lanka, which was dismissed by the court on 29 March 2018. He then filed a fundamental rights case in the Supreme Court of Sri Lanka. [18]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ranil Wickremesinghe</span> President of Sri Lanka since 2022

Ranil Wickremesinghe is a Sri Lankan politician who is the 9th and current President of Sri Lanka. He also holds several ministerial positions, including the Minister of Finance, Minister of Defence, Minister of Technology and Minister of Women, Child Affairs and Social Empowerment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mahinda Rajapaksa</span> President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015

Mahinda Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan politician. He served as the President of Sri Lanka from 2005 to 2015; the Prime Minister of Sri Lanka from 2004 to 2005, 2018, and 2019 to 2022; the Leader of the Opposition from 2002 to 2004 and 2018 to 2019, and the Minister of Finance from 2005 to 2015 and 2019 to 2021. He has been a Member of Parliament (MP) for Kurunegala since 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nadarajah Raviraj</span> Sri Lankan politician

Nadarajah Raviraj was a Sri Lankan Tamil lawyer and politician. He was Mayor of Jaffna in 2001 and a Member of Parliament for Jaffna District from 2001 to 2006. A member of the Tamil National Alliance, he was shot dead on 10 November 2006 in Colombo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gotabaya Rajapaksa</span> President of Sri Lanka from 2019 to 2022

Nandasena Gotabaya Rajapaksa, is a former Sri Lankan politician and military officer, who served as the eighth President of Sri Lanka from 18 November 2019 until his resignation on 14 July 2022 due to months of public anger. He previously served as Secretary to the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development from 2005 to 2015 under the administration of his elder brother former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, during the final phase of the Sri Lankan Civil War.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sri Lanka–United States relations</span> Bilateral relations

Sri Lanka and the United States established diplomatic relations on 23 October 1948.

Asoka Milinda Moragoda is a Sri Lankan politician and businessman. He is the current Sri Lankan High Commissioner Designate to India and, former Cabinet Minister and Member of Parliament representing the Colombo District from 2001 to 2010, who served as the Minister of Justice and Law Reform (2009-2010), Minister of Tourism (2007–2009); Minister for Economic Reform, Science and Technology and Deputy Minister for Plan Implementation and Development (2002–2004). His last political post was that of Opposition Leader of the Colombo Municipal Council and Senior Adviser to former President Mahinda Rajapakse.

The Sunday Leader was an English-language Sri Lankan weekly newspaper published by Leader Publications (Private) Limited. It was founded in 1994 and is published from Colombo. Its sister newspapers are the Iruresa (Irudina) and the defunct The Morning Leader. Founded by brothers Lasantha Wickrematunge and Lal Wickrematunge, the newspaper is known for its outspoken and controversial news coverage. The newspaper and its staff have been attacked and threatened several times and its founding editor Lasantha Wickrematunge was assassinated.

Udayanga Weeratunga is a Sri Lankan businessman who was the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka to the Russian Federation from 2006 to 2015. Weeratunga is a first cousin of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Lieutenant Colonel Prasanna Wickramasuriya, WWV, RWP, RSP is a highly decorated (retired) Sri Lanka Army officer who served as Chairman of Airport and Aviation Services Ltd. As a two time recipient of the Weera Wickrama Vibhushanaya (WWV), the highest wartime military decoration awarded non-posthumously by Sri Lanka, Wickramasuriya is one of the most highly decorated Sri Lankan military officers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Basil Rajapaksa</span> Sri Lankan politician (born 1951)

Basil Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan-American politician. He is a former Minister of Finance and Member of Parliament for the national list.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wimal Weerawansa</span> Sri Lankan politician

Weerasangilige Wimal Weerawansa is a Sri Lankan politician, Member of Parliament and current leader of the National Freedom Front (NFF). Weerawansa has served many cabinet positions, including Minister of Industries from 2020 to 2022, Minister of Small and Medium Business and Enterprise Development, Industries and Supply Chain Management from 2019 to 2020, Minister of Housing and Social Welfare in 2018 and the Minister of Construction and Housing from 2010 to 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Namal Rajapaksa</span> Sri Lankan politician

Lakshman Namal Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan politician. He is the eldest son of Sri Lankan former President and former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa and a member of parliament. He was the Minister of Youth and Sports from 2020 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nalaka Godahewa</span> Sri Lankan businessman

Nalaka Godahewa, MP is a Sri Lankan politician, former Cabinet Minister, and former corporate executive. He served as the Minister of Mass Media from the 18th of April 2022 until his resignation on the 9th of May 2022. Prior to that he was the State Minister Urban Development since August 2020 In addition to this, he is a member of parliament for the Gampaha District. He had served as the Chairman, Securities Exchange Commission ; Chairman, Sri Lanka Tourism (2010–2012); and Managing Director, Sri Lanka Insurance (2006–2009).

The Rajapaksa family is a Sri Lankan family that is prominent in politics. It was one of Sri Lanka's most powerful families during Mahinda Rajapaksa's presidency, when many members of the family occupied senior positions in the Sri Lankan state. As their political power grew, there were reports suggesting that the country was heading towards autocracy under their rule. Following the unexpected defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa in the 2015 presidential election, they have been accused of authoritarianism, corruption, nepotism and bad governance. In the 2019 presidential election, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the brother of Mahinda Rajapaksa, ran and won. The popularity of the Rajapaksa family collapsed after their actions caused the economic crisis that started in 2019, resulting in Sri Lanka defaulting on its debt for the first time in its post-independence history within just 30 months of coming to power. The extended Rajapaksa family is believed to have amassed a large amount of wealth and while the amount of and scale is unknown several members of the family have been revealed in international investigations such as the Pandora Papers to be using networks of shell companies and trusts to hide their wealth in offshore tax havens which has led to accusations of Rajapaksas turning Sri Lanka into a Kleptocracy

Events from the year 2013 in Sri Lanka.

The 2014 anti-Muslim riots in Sri Lanka were religious and ethnic riots in June 2014 in south-western Sri Lanka. Muslims and their property were attacked by Sinhalese Buddhists in the towns of Aluthgama, Beruwala and Dharga Town in Kalutara District. At least four people were killed and 80 injured. Hundreds were made homeless following attacks on homes, shops, factories, mosques and a nursery. 10,000 people were displaced by the riots. The riots followed rallies by Bodu Bala Sena (BBS), a hard line Buddhist group. The BBS was widely blamed for inciting the riots but it has denied responsibility. The mainstream media in Sri Lanka censored news about the riots following orders from the Sri Lankan government.

Lieutenant Commander Yoshitha Rajapaksa is a Sri Lankan sportsman and former naval officer. He is the son of the sixth president of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa and served as the chief of staff to the prime minister of Sri Lanka.

The Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) is a law enforcement unit of the Sri Lanka Police tasked with investigating financial crimes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2018 Sri Lankan constitutional crisis</span>

A constitutional crisis began in Sri Lanka when President Maithripala Sirisena appointed former president and member of parliament Mahinda Rajapaksa as Prime Minister on 26 October 2018 before formally dismissing the incumbent Ranil Wickremesinghe, resulting in two concurrent Prime Ministers. Wickremesinghe and the United National Party (UNP) viewed the appointment as illegal, and he refused to resign.

D. A. Rajapaksa Museum also simply called the Rajapaksa Museum is a museum in Hambantota, Sri Lanka dedicated to the late D. A. Rajapaksa and his wife Dandina Rajapaksa of the Rajapaksa family, the parents of Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa and Gotabaya Rajapaksa. The museum contained personal belongings of D.A and Dandina Rajapaksa including handwritten letters and photos of the Rajapaksa family. The construction of the museum has attracted controversy over the misuse of public funds and the use of state institutions such as the Sri Lankan Navy and Urban Development Authority. It was largely destroyed during the 2022 Sri Lankan Protests.

References

  1. 1 2 US Homeland Security Investigations. "ISE HSI investigation leads to guilty plea from former Sri Lankan Ambassador for defrauding foreign government". US Immigration Customs and Enforcement. US Government. Archived from the original on 3 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
  2. ↑ J. C. Van Sanden (1994). The Chieftains of Ceylon. Navrang. p. 14. ISBN   9788170131243.
  3. ↑ "Wickremasuriya Family of Kathaluwa". Sri Lanka Sinhalese Family Genealogy. 3 June 2009. Retrieved 31 July 2020.
  4. ↑ "The Island - Business" . Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  5. ↑ "Financial Times" . Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  6. ↑ Today, Business. "BUSINESS TODAY -The new Voice of Sri Lanka in Washington DC" . Retrieved 21 September 2016.{{cite web}}: |first= has generic name (help)
  7. ↑ "News Features" . Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  8. ↑ "AMBASSADOR JALIYA WICKRAMASURIYA ASSUMES DUTIES IN WASHINGTON DC - Embassy of Sri Lanka – Washington DC USA" . Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  9. ↑ "The Island - Business" . Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  10. ↑ "SRI LANKA'S AMBASSADOR TO THE U.S. HOSTS OFFICIAL RECEPTION TO CELEBRATE THE 2010 SINHALA-TAMIL NEW YEAR - Embassy of Sri Lanka – Washington DC USA" . Retrieved 21 September 2016.
  11. ↑ "Twists and turns in the Jaliya Wickramasuriya case". www.dailymirror.lk.
  12. ↑ "Jaliya Wickramasuriya arrested by FCID".
  13. ↑ "Jaliya Wickramasuriya re-remanded". www.dailymirror.lk.
  14. ↑ "Jaliya Wickramasuriya is corrupt, says Canada".
  15. ↑ Lakmal Sooriyagoda (5 January 2018). "Court issues open warrant against Jaliya Wickramasuriya". The Sunday Times . Retrieved 5 January 2018.
  16. ↑ asiantribune.com (6 January 2018). "Open warrant issued to arrest former US ambassador Jaliya Wickramasuriya". Asian Tribune . Retrieved 6 January 2018.
  17. ↑ "Court issues open warrant to arrest Jaliya".
  18. ↑ "US to indict Lanka's former ambassador". The Sunday Times Sri Lanka. May 2018.
    Nirmala Kannangara (14 July 2022). "Jaliya's confession and Gota's failed attempts to protect him - Expose". Sri Lanka Daily Mirror. Retrieved 16 November 2022.

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.