Out of Rs. 30.5 million obtained, purportedly to build a national heritage museum, by National Heritage Trust headed by him, Hettige had failed to account for Rs. 18 m.

This Trust is not even registered with the government, says the audit report titled TM/A/2014/Q/202015’02’2.

Other officials of the Trust are Paraduwa Jinaratana Thera and Sirisena Pelawatte.

The then cultural affairs ministry secretary and the CCF director general had approved the granting of Rs. 60 m without obtaining any estimate or plan.

No receipts, vouchers or any other documents have been furnished to account for the expenditures.

There is also a court case pending over the land at Kahavilgoda Purana Vihara in Akuressa, on which the museum was built.

When asked about the non-registration of the fund, Jinaratana Thera said he had submitted documents to MP Namal Rajapaksa in 2013 to get it approved as a charity, and the documents had been tabled in parliament in February 2015.

He said the money received was properly used, but that the money given by the UDA to build the access road to the location had not been utilized properly.

Attempts to reach Hettige on his mobile phone were unsuccessful.

Cultural affairs ministry secretary H.D.S. Malkanthi said she was not satisfied with the construction of the building.

She could not give further details, as she was not in her office, Ravaya reports.