Saturday 9 October 2021

 

Gajalakshmi Paramasivam


09 October 2021

 

Money Laundering Begins at Home

Daily Mirror report headed ‘Govt. to deport all Nigerian nationals linked to on-line scam’ states:

[President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has instructed the relevant authorities to immediately deport all the Nigerian nationals, who are held at the Mirihana Detention Centre on charges of on-line scams, informed sources said.

Accordingly, the President had directed the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration to take action to deport 44 Nigerian nationals at the detention centre utilising state funds. These Nigerian nationals were arrested during the last few months in relation to on-line scams.

Investigations revealed that these nationals have recommenced their criminal activities once again while being at the detention centre.]

 

One wonders on the basis of  the above-  Have we become so weakly regulated that we could not protect our citizens despite strong military control?  More disturbing is the following report:

 

[The Controller General of Immigration and Emigration had reportedly informed the President that some 41 million rupees would be spent to deport these nationals and already the Police Department had agreed to pay 80% of the total amount.

Sources said that since several international airlines had refused to take these individuals using their airlines, steps would be taken to use Sri Lankan Airlines to transport them back to Nigeria.

It is also reported that The Air Force Commander had agreed to provide an Air Force plane to transport those nationals if required.]

 

As in the case of the Pandemic – the problem began with the People:

[Earlier Police requested the public not to get trapped in these on-line scams as there was an increase of complaints about such activities in the recent past. Police said that the Nigerians sent messages to the public via electronic mail, Whatsapp or SMS asking them to accept some amount of money. It was also revealed that the fraud had been committed by claiming that the victim had won a prize and requesting the victim to deposit money in order to receive their prize.

“Several prominent professionals including Doctors and Lawyers had paid millions of rupees to these Nigerian nationals,” the official said.]

 

When I was approached many years ago – I did not say ‘no’. The reason was that our bank tried to pay an amount of the loan we had applied for – to the University of NSW without our approval. I quickly stopped it. I realised that I had developed strong intuition by following the law – especially in my accounting profession. Practiced ethics becomes our intuitive protection.

 

Through the above approach I picked the intelligence of the bank officers who turned a blind eye to such activities. Later when we lost $5k due to difference in exchange – I had evidence to question the bank and take them to the Ombudsman.  But the Ombudsman also failed to act. Then I decided that they were all contributing to such activities by failing in their duties to follow due processes. Through my regular articles I shared the experience with many. Some in the community contacted me and I was able to comfort them by listening with care. Last week when I learnt through the news that a loan officer at our bank had been playing out through loan accounts, I felt that my contribution was also in it. All our genuine contributions accumulate to produce outcomes to protect those who are faithful to their institutions.

 

Later through a family matter taken up in Jaffna Courts, in which the current Mayor of Jaffna represented us – I learnt that the Northern Judicial system was using Thesawalamai law to its advantage, instead of following it.

 

In that matter also – the major share of my brother in law’s funds were in the UK. The two sisters who received dowry, first asked my husband to write over his share to them and when he refused – they claimed equal share. As per Thesawalamai law they were not entitled to any share . The brothers were entitled to share. But the courts ruled in their favour. I wrote a book about it in Tamil so the heirs of Thesawalamai would have the opportunity to protect their real wealth which is not money but the intelligence. My husband and I  also rewrote our wills to share our intelligence with our family so they would not be influenced by unscrupulous family members. As they say in Tamil – the sharing of intelligence (Vithya Thaanam) is the highest gift of all. That was my parallel of the Pandora Papers. But there was hardly any expression of support from the Tamil Diaspora. I am asked from time to time – by some in Northern Sri Lanka who are also bound by Thesawalamai law. This experience is my measure to read as to how serious the Tamil Diaspora is in developing self-governance in Northern Sri Lanka.

 

For our part – I realised that the work we invested in through Due Processes – brought us opportunities through official pathways to enjoy life free of anxiety. All of us can enjoy pleasures and comforts that money brings up to a limit as per the capacity of our body. When we earn that which we receive – it helps us to enjoy the peace of mind that comes with it and beyond that the sweetness of others enjoying beyond our physical selves. It is like regulated marriage.

 

Pleasures  that we earn through the official pathways – including through respect within a sovereign unit – help us transcend the physical towards the sweetness of Eternal enjoyment. Likewise, monies. When unregulated – physical enjoyments have early deaths. The above mentioned Nigerians were able to cheat Sri Lankans – especially lawyers and doctors because both professions have deteriorated to trading levels. Easy come; easy go. Those who work for money and status they get through the ethical pathway and respect those from whom the professional ethics have been inherited will never be victims of unofficial systems. Their own karma will protect them.

 

Even pocket money taken without respect develops swindlers’ mentality. Nadesan was not the first Tamil to be exposed by global powers.  On 21 June 2016, Colombo Telegraph reported as follows:

 

[The offices of Lycamobile, owned by Sri Lankan born Subaskaran Allirajah was raided by French Police, with 19 people working for the company arrested in connection with a multi-million pound tax and money laundering scandal. Lycamobile is the UK conservative Party’s biggest donor, and Allirajah is alleged to be an associate of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.]

 

As per Wikipedia:

 

[In September 2021, Subaskaran Allirajah was announced as the new owner of the Jaffna Kings for the 2021 Lanka Premier League

 

Jaffna Kings, formerly known as Jaffna Stallions, are a franchise cricket team which plays in the Lanka Premier League (LPL). On December 16, 2020, the team won the inaugural Lanka Premier League 2020 Championship. Team captain Thisara Perera and Shoaib Malik both played pivotal roles in the win.]

 

Neither of the above two are Jaffna Tamils. All because the LTTE sold our heritage for a Rajapaksa win in 2005. Now some politicians are crying ‘Genocide instead of Suicide’

 

Some parts of the University of Jaffna that celebrate the life of the LTTE – including through memorials continue to insult those who truly risked their lives for the freedom of the Jaffna mind.

 

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