The schemes were initiated by Open View Development Company - which is fully owned by the National Housing Development Authority and the Urban Development Authority, the ‘Randiwa’ newspaper says.

The newspaper also says :

Present chairman of Open View - Poorna Chandana de Silva has already lodged a complaint with the FCID on these irregularities.

The houses were given by the former minister to five of his close relatives, namely Hemasiri of Vadachchariya, Palleperuma Gamage Ananda Priyadarshana, Hewageeganage Wathsala Kumarasinghe, Palalegedara Wasantha Rupasinghe and Isuru Tharangamala Muthuranaweera.

Violating the company Act, the former minister has illegally given a house amounting to Rs. 15132901.66, which is located No. 16 in the Mattegoda ‘Haritha Kedella’ housing scheme to Hemasiri of Vadachchariya, de Silva has complained.

Accordingly, a house amounting to Rs. 14544546.94 was given to Palleperuma Gamage Ananda Priyadarshana while a house amounting to Rs. 9434187.00 was given to Hewageeganage Wathsala Kumarasinghe.

In addition, a house amounting to Rs. 11374689.73 was was given to Wasantha Rupasinghe while a house amounting to Rs. 10361698.24 was given to Isuru Tharangamala Muthuranaweera.

Meanwhile, another house amounting to Rs. 12154229.54 has been given to a one Milinda Rathnayake, who used to work at the Presidential media unit.

Initial police investigations have revealed that these houses have been given to the above individuals for meagre prices of Rs. 200,000 - Rs. 300,000.

(Randiwa)