This came to light during investigations into a dispute that occurred on June 10 when Colombo municipal officers went to take over the land, extending to three roods and 31 perches, due to non-payment of assessment tax dues.
Several families had been occupying the land for several decades and the CMC did make an attempt previously too, to take over the land, but was thwarted due to the presence of these families.
According to police sources, a tyre trader from Dehiwala had given these families a trifle, threatened them and driven them away with the mediation of a top politician in the previous regime.
The younger sister of the tyre trader’s wife has been having a close relationship with Wele Suda and he had given Rs. 50 million to buy the land.
The tyre trader bought the land and then sold it to a car sale owner by the name Rizan for a big sum.
Following the collapse of the Rajapaksa regime, families that had lived in the land previously staged protests demanding the land, and the ‘new owner’ had fenced in the land by using high corrugated sheets.
Municipal officers and police had gone to the land on June 10 to take over the land, located next to a popular girls’ school, but could not put up a board to claim ownership of the land due to protests by various persons.
The legal division of the CMC is studying the possible next course of action in this regard.
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