Demolition of Dehiwala beach side hotel: Allegations of politically connected motives
Hotel owner says only part of the premises was on CCD land and denies links with narcotics leaders
CCD official says hotel documents not valid; admits they cannot act on other illegal buildings because of political pressure
On January 1 this year, hotel proprietor Sampath Aththatage was awoken by his security men to the news that a massive contingent of police and demolition equipment was surrounding his hotel.
He said at around 9 a.m., four backhoes had come over the railway line, along with many high-ranking police officers.
Mr. Aththatage, who had gone to sleep at 5 a.m. that day following the events they had hosted for the 31st night, rushed to the site. “I repeatedly asked them with what authority they were destroying my property, and then SSP Mangala Dehideniya, who did not have any documents, told me to go and ask the Coastal Conservation Department officials. It took me some time to find them in the crowd, but once I did, they showed me a letter signed by the Director General on January 1, 2024, that same day. How can a letter signed that day be activated by 9 a.m. on the same day?" Mr. Aththatage asked.
“I came out of the broken wall after that and asked them to stop, but I was arrested and carried physically across the railway track by about 25 officers and put in the police jeep.”
Mr. Aththatage was charged with obstruction of police duties and spent the night in the Dehiwela Police cell with a few of his employees, as he was not presented to court until the next day. He was released on bail.
He came back to find 30 years of his life’s work destroyed. Mr. Aththatage told the Sunday Times he had earned his capital from a 30-year career as a science tuition teacher.
However, the Coastal Conservation Department accused him of running a business on CCD land.
"The demolition destroyed equipment and materials worth millions of rupees. They included the entire lobby, Indian restaurant, pub and bar area, main restaurant, pool, walls, furniture, fridges, TVs, and other furnishing. I had a liquor licence to buy liquor; all of that was gone.
“How can a letter signed that day have allowed the police to mobilise an army of riot police, tear gas, and water canons by 9 a.m.?” he asked again. Mr. Aththatage claimed he had not been given any warnings before the demolition about any laws he was breaking.
“Part of my property is in the coastal conservation area, and the other part is in the railway conservation area. I have paid Rs. 25,025,000 in taxes for this space to the Sri Lanka Railway Department. So why was the entire property destroyed instead of just the area under the CCD's jurisdiction?" he asked.
Mr. Aththatage presented approval documents signed by the Director General permitting him to construct a hotel on the site. The original document has been presented to the Dehiwela Police, who have withheld the documents for further investigation.
Mr. Aththatage pointed out what he saw as discrepancies in the CCD letter. The letter presented to Mr. Aththatage refers to “Mr. T.D. Atapattu” as the proprietor of the business. "There is no proprietor by that name listed in the company business registration. The address mentioned in the letter is different from the address on “The Soul Beach” business registration; the letter refers to 59/10, Campbell Place, Dehiwela, but the business registration of the company lists 59/9, Peter’s Lane, Dehiwela and 44, Campbell Place, Dehiwela, for the two access roads to the location as its addresses.
“My Dubai-based business colleague, whom the police demonised as a “drug smuggler” funnelling money into the business to validate their activities under Yukthiya, is actually a citizen of the UAE and a business owner with gem, property, and supermarkets in that country. He invested in this business along with me and three others, and none of us is “Shiran Bashi, the drug dealer.”
Soul Beach, which employed about 100 people, opened last September and was booming with business, much to the dismay of other establishments that politically influential parties owned. Mr. Aththatage insisted that the destruction of his business was an abuse of political power by competitors who were threatened by his successful business.
He denied the accusation of illegally constructing on conserved land by noting that he had been building his business since October 2022. “CCD officials patrol this area weekly and would have observed my construction activities, so why didn’t anyone notify me before?" he asked.
The CCD, however, claims that Mr.
Aththatage was given multiple warnings about the illegality of his construction. Dehiwela Police Chief Anuradha Herath confirmed that the CCD had filed complaints and that Soul Beach had been fined Rs. 25,000 by the courts for failing to comply with laws previously as well.
Speaking to the Sunday Times, a senior CCD official who wished to remain anonymous confirmed that a complaint had been filed when the building was in the foundation stage of construction, and a fine was imposed when construction continued.
“Police didn’t proceed with the complaint at that time, but we have informed them and taken the measures we are mandated to take to protect the land under our jurisdiction.”
The official rejected Mr. Aththatage’s claim that he was uninformed and questioned the validity of the documents presented by the business owner. “No-objection letters do not amount to licences, and in any case, the law on this is clearly mentioned, and the structure was contravening it.”
When asked as to why the other establishments along the Dehiwela beach that were also in violation of CCD stipulations and had been around for much longer than Soul Beach had not received the same severity of action, the official said that action had been taken but had been stalled due to undue pressures the Director General had faced. “Even though an Act exists, its application has complications in this country.”
Demolitions have been done there before, but a conversation came about about legalising these establishments to boost the economy, the official said. “That's why we're reducing the conservation boundaries from 15 metres to 10 metres to help the registered tourist establishments.”
According to the official, the current practice of putting rocks in when the sand gets too fragile is destroying the beach, and that will consequentially affect the tourism sector.
However, the official admitted that the previous failures of the CCD to rid the beach of other illegally constructed businesses had been due to pressure the CCD had received from connected factions.