A request has been submitted to the Gangodawila Magistrate’s Court seeking the release of Daisy Forrest Wickremesinghe, popularly known as Daisy Achchi, from the ongoing money laundering investigation linked to Yoshitha Rajapaksa, on the grounds that she is suffering from dementia.
President’s Counsel Anil Silva, appearing for Wickremesinghe, informed the court that the 98-year-old suffers from memory loss and is unable to provide legal instructions for the continuation of proceedings.
He also submitted medical reports to the court, noting that in 2017, a court had already ruled that Wickremesinghe was incapable of managing her own property, which was subsequently placed under another person’s care.
However, Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara, representing the Attorney General’s Department, requested that a special medical board be appointed to examine Wickremesinghe’s condition, since this was the first instance the issue had been raised before court.
He further pointed out that in April 2016, the CID discovered a valuable gem collection in Wickremesinghe’s possession. While the properties were registered under her name, the funds used to acquire them were allegedly provided by Yoshitha Rajapaksa.
The Deputy Solicitor General argued that releasing Wickremesinghe from the case could potentially benefit another party.
He also revealed that although the CID recorded a statement from Wickremesinghe in 2016, it was never presented before court or any other judicial body. When questioned whether she was suffering from dementia at the time, CID officers confirmed that she had not been diagnosed with such a condition then.
The case was postponed to November 26.
In February this year, the Attorney General filed indictments against Yoshitha Rajapaksa and his grand-aunt Daisy Forrest Wickremesinghe before the Colombo High Court under the Money Laundering Act, relating to a Rs. 59 million joint account held by the two.
Investigations launched in 2016 revealed that Rajapaksa was unable to satisfactorily explain the source of the funds, which had been placed in fixed deposits and other bank accounts, including the joint account with Wickremesinghe.
