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Message: <blockquote data-quote="ibnanv" data-source="post: 18067392" data-attributes="member: 218596">(Reuters) - Sri  Lankan investigators have located more than $2 billion that was secretly  transferred to accounts in Dubai by figures close to the administration  of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, the government said on Thursday. Cabinet spokesman  Rajitha Senaratne said the funds represented about of fifth of the total  amount of so-called 'black money' that the authorities suspect was  illicitly stashed abroad."We  have information that more than $10 billion, more than our country's  foreign reserves, is kept outside the country by those closely related  to the last government," he told reporters.A  former top official in Rajapaksa's administration dismissed as  "nonsense" the government's suggestion that the money found was evidence  of corruption.President  Maithripala Sirisena, who defeated Rajapaksa in a January election, has  ordered an investigation into all financial deals sealed by his  predecessor. Rajapaksa and his former government officials have rejected   allegations of corruption and nepotism and said they are ready to face  any investigation.Describing  the accounts found in Dubai, Senaratne said:     "One person from a  leading family held $1.064 billion. Another account under a parliament  member's name had over $500 million and a secretary to a very important  person had over $500 million jointly with another person, who is very  famous for corruption."Senaratne  did not say who held the accounts, as the probe is still under way. He  said it had also identified large  withdrawals, including one of $600  million, from accounts belonging to people who had worked with  Rajapaksa's government.  "We  have given these details to the U.S. and Indian financial intelligence  agencies which are helping us in the investigations," he added.His assertion was dismissed by a former government official and Rajapaksa ally, who declined to be named. "In  the context of money laundering, you can't take $600 million at once,"  he told Reuters, adding that the government should name the holders of  the alleged accounts."Why  can't he say the names if they have the information?" the former  government official said, describing Senaratne's comments on Thursday as  "absolutely nonsense". Sri  Lanka's anti-corruption body has so far barred former central bank  governor Ajith Nivard Cabraal and Sajin De Vass Gunawardena, a  parliamentarian close to Rajapaksa, from leaving the country because of  corruption complaints. Both have rejected allegations they misused  public funds.Senaratne  also said the government had canceled an $85 million airport runway  project awarded to Colombo-based Access Engineering Plc, which won a  number of infrastructure contracts during Rajapaksa's time in office. No  comment was immediately available from the company.     </blockquote>

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