The CHEC had given Rs. 89 million and Rs. 58 million on two separate occasions, and the cheques had been issued from the Standard Chartered Bank’s current account no. 01-3359190-19, according to information received by the CID.

On 12 December 2014, a person by the name E.A.R. Francis had cashed three cheques for Rs. 89 million, and the money was paid, through one Hema Madiwela of the presidential election operations bureau at Temple Trees, to a company that had made T-shirts and caps with Rajapaksa’s picture in them, it is alleged.

That money had gone to make 245,000 T-shirts and 125,000 caps.

On 31 December 2014, one Priyantha Samarasinghe cashed two cheques for Rs. 58 million, issued from the same current account, and handed over the money to Hema Madiwela of Temple Trees.

Meanwhile, in a statement, the CHEC has rejected reports that it had offered financial assistance to any politician during Sri Lanka’s January presidential elections.

The CHEC said the allegation made by local media was misleading and has bought disrepute to an international level company.

“The CHEC calls on all the relevant Sri Lankan officials and parties not to misunderstand their responsible and cooperative partner, and not to send a wrong signal to the investors from China and all other countries,” the CHEC said.

“We also urge them not to hurt the hearts of a company which has worked so hard for Sri Lanka’s development and prosperity for the past 17 years,” it said.

The company said as a large international infrastructure company which operates in more than 80 countries, the CHEC went in accordance with the laws and regulations of these countries and it is CHEC’s firm policy not to get involved in politics and the elections of any country.