Pro-NPP academic raises concerns over alleged luxury apartment purchase by Deputy Minister

Prominent Sri Lankan academic Professor Nirmal Ranjith Dewasiri has described allegations against Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala as “serious and politically significant,” following claims that the Deputy Minister purchased a luxury apartment in Colombo worth Rs. 45 million.

The accusation has sparked controversy given Watagala’s affiliation with the leftist National People’s Power (NPP).

Dewasiri noted that political commentator Mahinda Pathirana has also submitted documentary evidence supporting his claim.

While Deputy Minister Watagala has rejected the allegations and filed a complaint with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Professor Dewasiri cautioned that such claims cannot be dismissed without due scrutiny.

“If a deputy minister aligned with a progressive, anti-corruption platform has acquired such an asset within a year, it raises troubling questions of integrity,” Dewasiri said, speaking on his YouTube channel History with Nirmal.