Sri Lanka’s Public Security Minister, Tiran Alles, has lashed out at reporters investigating claims that he used shell companies to own properties in London.
The allegations emerged as part of the bombshell Pandora Papers investigations by the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) which exposed the financial deals and hidden assets of politicians, celebrities, business people and criminals in more than 200 countries.
Alles is accused of using a network of shell companies based in the British Virgin Islands to own properties across London. Analysis by the ICIJ shows that that Alles’ Brompton Properties Ltd. owns a flat in an affluent area of London that was purchased for about $960,000 in 2006.
His second BVI company, Banham Ventures Ltd., has owned a separate property near the city’s Chelsea neighbourhood since 2008. U.K. records don’t list the purchase price.
Responding to the investigation, Alles told reporters:
“I am not going to comment on all this crap. The only thing I am going to say is I’m happy that I have been looking at all these posts what they put,”
He added:
“I’m not going to answer anything on that. I can also say I am an investigative journalist and write something about someone. In their report did you see they have all those companies and they say they have not been able to get any details?”
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