Janaki arrested for bribing Namal in the Krish deal

Ms. Janaki Siriwardhana, former Executive Director of Krish Private Company, has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption in connection with the accusation of giving a bribe of Rs. 70 million to Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa. She has been accused of paying this amount as a bribe on three occasions to facilitate the speedy acquisition of the Transworks Square land in Colombo Fort, which belongs to the Urban Development Authority, for the said company.

The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the court today.

Also known as Janaki Warakagoda, she was previously arrested by the Criminal Investigation Department in 2022 after it was revealed that she was connected to the incidents involving Thilini Priyamali, who was facing massive financial fraud charges. That arrest, made at an office in the Fort Krish building, was part of an investigation into frauds committed by obtaining advance payments from businessmen under the guise of selling commercial and residential units in the country's tallest proposed building in the Galle Face area. At the time, politician Azad Sally had also revealed information that many of Thilini Priyamali's financial transactions were carried out in collaboration with Janaki Siriwardhana.

With the commencement of investigations into the Krish land deal, Janaki Siriwardhana's name became a prominent topic of discussion in the media. During these investigations, a confession made by former Pan Asia Bank Chairman Nimal Perera before the Magistrate revealed a lot of information about the relationship between Mr. Namal Rajapaksa and Janaki Siriwardhana. She was also the main coordinator who brought investors from Mahadevan Company of India, the parent company of Krish Lanka Company, for investments in Sri Lanka.

Prior to this land deal, Krish businessmen had exchanged Rs. 70 million, disguised as sponsorship for promoting rugby in the country. Various reports indicated that in addition to the Transworks Square land in Colombo Fort, she was involved in coordinating with the Rajapaksas to secure a project near Hambantota Port and purchase a thirty-acre land in the Kalpitiya area, exchanging large commissions. 

Furthermore, during the Good Governance government, she had also arranged for Indian billionaire Mukesh Ambani to be brought to the country and organized a discussion with the then Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.