-By Ruwan Weerakoon
(Lanka-e-News -07.May.2026, 3.00 AM) A dark political secret, hidden for decades behind the walls of an ultra-luxury mansion standing silently on Torrington Avenue, is now being exposed to the public.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has launched a massive investigation into the mansion located at No. 260/17, Torrington Avenue, Colombo, valued at over 400 million rupees (40 Crores). This is not just another property in the heart of Colombo; these grounds once served as the official registered headquarters of the controversial CSN television channel, which was allegedly owned by Yoshitha Rajapaksa.
Although the property was purchased nearly a decade ago under the name "Mary Lourdes Wickremesinghe"—a name never before heard in the political arena—it is actually the real name appearing on the birth certificate of former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa. The story dates back to 2001. This house, initially acquired on a rental basis for then-Opposition Leader Mahinda Rajapaksa through the mediation of then-Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, became the outright property of the Rajapaksa family after Mahinda Rajapaksa became President. However, the shocking detail is that this land, worth 400 million rupees, was reportedly purchased for an extremely low valuation of just 35 million rupees.
The former First Lady has yet to provide a proper explanation to the Bribery Commission regarding how such vast wealth was acquired. While even the notary who prepared the deed confirmed that no monetary transaction took place in his presence, Mrs. Shiranthi Rajapaksa claims that the son of Nishantha Wickremesinghe (former Chairman of SriLankan Airlines) purchased it in cash from businessman Prabath Nanayakkara and later transferred it to her. However, there is grave doubt as to whether such a financial exchange actually occurred. The most serious concern behind this sophisticated transaction is whether the mansion was given to the Rajapaksa family as a bribe in exchange for awarding massive state projects, including expressways, to the businessman Prabath Nanayakkara. Investigative officers have cast their net based on the suspicion that commission money from infrastructure projects built with public tax money was converted into luxury property in this manner.
To unravel this mysterious property deal, the government is utilizing the newly enacted Proceeds of Crime Act No. 5 of 2025. Under Section 34(1) of this stringent law, if a person possesses property that does not appear to have been built from their legal income, the court has the power to presume it was acquired through crime. Most critically, according to Section 34(3) of the Act, the entire legal burden of proof now lies with the suspect—Shiranthi Rajapaksa—to prove that it was purchased using legal income. Based on the broad powers granted by Sections 68(1) and 71(1) of the Act, investigating officers have already issued orders completely prohibiting the sale or alienation of the Torrington mansion.
Furthermore, this process goes beyond traditional law, which waits for a criminal conviction. According to Sections 125 and 126 of the Act, if the defense fails to establish the legality of the property, the government has the power to confiscate the property without any formal conviction of a crime. Investigation teams have announced that all facts regarding this matter will be filed before the High Court within the next ninety days, and pursuant to Section 127(17) of the Act, the property will be seized by the state at any moment its legality cannot be proven.
The signs are now appearing that the massive iron gates on Torrington Avenue, which for years symbolized unlimited power and hidden wealth, will return to public ownership in the near future.
For further reading;
* Colombo Mansion Mystery: The Rajapaksa Residence Worth Rs. 400 Million..!
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by (2026-05-07 09:36:24)
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