Govt. reveals MPs benefitted from President’s Fund

Chief Government Whip and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa

Chief Government Whip and Minister Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa yesterday revealed to the House that 34 former Prime Ministers, Ministers, MPs and Advisers have disproportionately benefitted from the President’s Fund, receiving financial assistance for medical treatment that goes beyond the fund’s original purpose of support the poor and underprivileged.

Detailing the payments allocated to MPs from the President’s Fund between 2005 and 2024, he questioned the purposes for which such large amounts had been drawn by politicians.

Former Minister of Health Keheliya Rambukwella received Rs. 11 million, while Rajitha Senaratne was granted Rs. 10 million. Former Minister Alek Aluvihare received Rs. 2.2 million, and his son Ranjith Aluvihare, a former MP, received Rs. 4.6 million. The fund also released Rs. 30 million to former Prime Minister D. M. Jayaratne. 

Former MP Rajith Soysa received Rs. 18 million, while former Speaker Joseph Michael Perera was given Rs. 2.7 million. John Amaratunga received Rs. 4 million, and former MP Wimalaweera Dissanayake was provided Rs. 3 million. Vidura Wickramanayake was also granted Rs. 1.5 million.

In addition, the Minister stated that Manoj Sirisena, Dayasiri Jayasekera, P. Harrison, P. Dayaratne, former Chief Minister of the Western Province Isura Devapriya Perera and Piyal Nishantha de Silva has also received assistance from the fund in recent years.

He further pointed out that the President’s Fund has been chaired by former Presidents Mahinda Rajapaksa, Maithripala Sirisena, Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Ranil Wickremesinghe in accordance with the President’s Fund Act.

Dr. Jayatissa also revealed that a staggering Rs. 12.1 million was incurred at the Prime Minister’s medical unit during former Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena’s tenure.

The 34 individuals include;

1. P. Harrison

2. Piyasena Gamage

3. Sumedha Jayasena

4. Manoj Sirisena

5. P. Dayarathne

6. S.C. Muthukumarana

7. Vasudeva Nanayakkara

8. Sarath Amunugama

9. S.B. Nawinna

10. Dayasiri Jayasekara

11. Piyan Nishantha de Silva

12. Susil Premajayantha

13. Isura Devapriya

14. S.A. Jagath Kumara

15. K.P.S. Kumarasiri

16. Jayalath Jayawardena

17. Namal Gunawardana

18. Dharmadasa Banda

19. Vidura Wickramanayake

20. Wimalaweera Dissanayaka

21. Lucky Jayawardana

22. P. Chandarasekaran

23. John Amaratunga

24. Joseph Michael Perera

25. T.B. Ekanayake

26. W.M.S. Fonseka

27. Jayantha Weerasinghe

28. Alick Aluwihare

29. Ranjith Aluwihare

30. Rajitha Senarathne

31. Keheliya Rambukwella

32. M.K. A.D.S. Gunawardena

33. Ranjith Soysa

34. D.M. Jayarathne

President’s fund disbursements: 2005-2024 

1. Rajitha Senaratne – Rs. 100 lakhs  

2. Keheliya Rambukwella – Rs. 110 lakhs  

3. M.K.A.D.S. Gunawardena – Rs. 112 lakhs  

4. Ranjith Soysa – Rs. 188 lakhs  

5. D.M. Jayaratne – Rs. 300 lakhs  

6. John Amaratunga – Rs. 40 lakhs  

7. Joseph Michael Perera – Rs. 27 lakhs  

8. T.B. Ekanayake – Rs. 47 lakhs  

9. W.M.S. Fonseka – Rs. 55 lakhs  

10. Jayanta Weerasinghe – Rs. 90 lakhs  

11. S.A. Jagath Kumara – Rs. 10 lakhs  

12. K.P.S. Kumarasiri – Rs. 9.5 lakhs  

13. Jayalath Jayawardena – Rs. 10 lakhs  

14. Namal Gunawardena – Rs. 10 lakhs  

15. Dharmadasa Banda – Rs. 10 lakhs  

16. Vidura Wickramanayake – Rs. 15 lakhs  

17. Wimal Weerasinghe – Rs. 30 lakhs  

18. Lucky Jayawardena – Rs. 16.2 lakhs  

19. P. Chandrasekaran – Rs. 14 lakhs  

20. Alec Aluwihare – Rs. 22 lakhs  

21. Ranjith Aluwihare – Rs. 8.6 lakhs  

- Only explicitly mentioned amounts are included.