Former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has categorically denied recent media reports claiming that a building located near the Menik Ganga in Kataragama belongs to him, describing such claims as completely false and misleading.
In a statement, Rajapaksa said that similar erroneous reports had surfaced periodically, falsely linking him to the property. He noted that a fresh news item broadcast on several television channels once again mentioned his name in connection with the said building.
Rajapaksa clarified that a Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inquiry had previously been conducted regarding the ownership of the building, during which he had provided a full statement. He explained that his name came up in the investigation solely due to an application submitted under the name “G. Rajapaksa” seeking an electricity connection for the property. However, the application, he emphasized, did not bear a valid signature — only an unclear scribble where one should have appeared.
“Since this erroneous news item appears from time to time, I wish to firmly state that the said building near the Kataragama Menik Ganga is not my property,” Rajapaksa declared. “I have never had any reason or desire to construct or maintain any building in the Kataragama area.”
