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I hereby give a brief statement regarding the ongoing matter between Rengan Devarajan, Prof. S. R. H. Hoole and The Sunday Leader following R.Devarajan demanding Rs. 50 million in damages over Prof. Hoole quoting me.

First, Prof. Hoole has referred to me as a ‘Businessman from the UK’. This is not the most suitable description of my profession. I am employed as the Group Financial Director for a Cypriot company that operates in Cyprus and in the UK. This Group was listed in The Sunday Times (UK) Rich List. I personally have shareholdings in two UK based investment companies. I live in the UK and work both in the UK and Cyprus. I am actively involved with the Sri Lankan government’s initiative to assist the IDP’s and to convince people in the Diaspora to return or invest in Sri Lanka. I am actively involved in several rehabilitation activities in Sri Lanka. This was the main reason I supported Prof. Hoole’s nomination to become the Vice Chancellor of Jaffna University. Naturally I am annoyed that people like Mr. Devarajan are chasing potential professionals out of Northern Sri Lanka. I cannot allow this to happen and I will try my utmost best to challenge this barbarism.

My involvement with the Hon. Minister Douglas Devananda goes back to early 1983 but I have never stated or written anything against the involvement of Mr. Devarajan with the EPDP until the so called ‘Kayts Riots’ erupted in The Sunday Leader. Therefore, I stress, my involvement in this saga is for the good of the country and has nothing to do with my business or investments or any personal vendetta against Mr. Devarajan. Indeed if my intention is merely to attack Mr. Devarajan, I would have done so when in his incompetence he messed up the EPDP’s Local Government nomination papers.

I was introduced to Mr. Devarajan in early 2007 by a common friend, Mr. Thambirajah Jeyabalan. Mr. Jeyabalan requested me on several occasions that I should include Mr. Devarajan as one of my panel of solicitors. I agreed to this suggestion and gave a job to Mr. Devarajan. Mr. Devarajan requested me to bring a cheque for £1000 to be paid on account (this is normal practice). We three met at his firm, Theva & Co Solicitors, 128 Ilford Lane, IG1 2LE on 13th August 2007 and discussed various businesses and I instructed him on action to be taken on one matter. Several deadlines passed and Mr. Devarajan went into hiding and never returned my calls. Then I threatened his firm that I am reporting this matter to the Law Society unless my files were returned to me immediately. I received the files untouched by courier on 23 September, 2007 at my office but not the payment paid on account. I subsequently discovered that this cheque was cleared through a female’s personal account.

After some months Mr. Jeyabalan started to pressure me stating that Mr. Devarajan had big financial problems and I must help. He said Mr. Devarajan was on the verge of losing his solicitor’s practising certificate and hence was desperate. I reluctantly agreed to help Mr. Devarajan to establish his business. Mr. Devarajan told us that if we were to assist him in restarting his business through a loan, he would repay Mr. Jeyabalan the £20,000 he was taking from him within a year and my loan soon thereafter. Most of this is still unsettled. Both Mr. Jeyabalan and I were clients of Mr. Devarajan’s. As a solicitor he knows how serious a regulatory offence he was indulging in by borrowing from his clients. A processed cheque from me to him is produced here.

I thereupon helped Mr. Devarajan restart his business under a new name, First Management Solicitors at 447 Kenton Road, Harrow HA3 0XY . There were no options left but for me to give a personal guarantee on all financial matters as Mr Devarajan’s affairs were in a shambles. Office rent cheques paid by First Management Solicitors bounced and eventually the landlord held on to the deposit paid by me and First Management Solicitors had to leave the premises. In case he denies a connection to this firm, its letterhead is produced here to show his name on it and its relocation to Mr. Devarajan’s area.
When First Management Solicitors commenced its operations I suggested to Mr. Devarajan that we must have an introduction party in a good restaurant or club where I may bring my business associates to introduce to Mr. Devarajan. Mr. Devarajan agreed to this suggestion and we organised an event for May 9, 2008 at Blue Ginger Bar in Harrow attended by 35 invitees. Newham Councillor and Deputy Mayor Mr. Paul Sathianesan attended this event as the guest of honour and delivered the welcome speech. Towards the end of the event we were looking around for Mr. Devarajan to thank the guests but were told he was too drunk to speak and had left the event. There were a few guests who witnessed his being helped into a car. The gala concluded without the star of the event. After Mr. Devarajan was evicted from his Harrow office he went and opened First Management Solicitors Office at 410 Horns Road, Barkingside, Essex IG6 1BT. I am also in contact with Mr. Kapila Koralage’s family from Negombo, Sri Lanka. They state their young family was deported from the UK due to the negligence of Mr. Devarajan. Mr. Koralage claims that despite paying Mr. Devarajan’s fees, he failed to represent him in a professional manner and failed to turn up at vital hearings. Mr. Koralage is prepared to give statements to any court.

Mr. Devarajan, further, left the original file of his client (Ref: RR/IMM/03774/Shanthi) in a car park. His habitual drunkenness might explain this. His office cleaner in a signed statement in my possession states his violation of UK office norms against drinking at work: “I was doing the office cleaning at First Management Solicitors for about six months from May 2008. While cleaning I have seen empty Famous Grouse whiskey bottles inside bins and half finished bottles under (the solicitor’s) table most of the times. Also I have washed mugs which had strong smell of alcohol on almost every cleanup…there were cigarette (butts) thrown all over the floor…I have left notes not to throw the (butts) on the floor but nothing changed I am also in possession of signed statements dated November 4, 2008, and January 3, 2009 from three ex-employees/consultants at First Management Solicitors requesting payments from Mr. Devarajan. Mr. Devarajan also owes £196 to AGY Skills Direct Ltd., for maintenance work. There were payments owing to various chambers until September 2009. First Management Solicitors owes £235.69 to British Telecommunication. Debt Collectors were chasing after him with warnings to collect this debt. I hope this statement is sufficient. However If you require any assistance please do not hesitate to ask.

http://www.thesundayleader.lk/

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