Sri Lanka’s new government has outlined plans for a wave of anti-corruption?investigations targeting Chinese-funded infrastructure projects developed under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa.Former President,Cheap China NFL Jerseys, Mahinda RajapaksaOn January 8, Rajapaksa, a strongman who had appeared to settle in for the long term, conceded defeat to opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena, who pledged to tackle graft with a special commission targeting?corruption?in public works after criticising Rajapaksa’s government for awarding non-bid contracts and paying inflated prices.Much of these projects were laid out near Rajapaksa’s southern hometown of Medamulana.One political party, the Marxist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), has already called on the Bribery and?Corruption?Commission to probe Rajapaksa, his family members, and Ajith Nivard Cabraal, the former governor of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka,Cheap Jerseys China, over allegations linked to the multi-billion projects.“This morning we lodged a?complaint against?Mahinda Rajapaksa, Basil Rajapaksa [Majinda’s brother], Namal Rajapaksa [Majinda’s son] and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa [Majinda’s brother] to the bribery commission,” Vijitha Herath, a JVP legislator, confirmed on Tuesday 13 January.The MPs also called upon the commission to suspend the respondents’ foreign trips until investigations against them have concluded.Fmr. Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya RajapaksaRajapaksa’s 9-year reign was marred by and eventually ended with allegations of nepotism and corruption. Over 40 top government positions were held by his family and friends – cabinet portfolios to state finance corporations, airlines and sports federations. One of his brothers, Gotabhaya, was his defence secretary, while another, Chamal, was the speaker of the parliament. His youngest brother Basil was the country’s Economic Development Minister. A nephew is chief minister of Uva Province while a brother-in-law was the chairman of the state carrier, Sri Lankan Airlines. His son, Namal,Jerseys Cheap Wholesale, was being groomed as his political heir.Since the defeat,Cheap Football Jerseys, the family has retreated into a shell.Rajapaksa during his tenure adopted a decidedly pro-China policy, with the latter lending his government US$4.8bn in commercial loans between 2005 and 2012.CHINA’S NUMEROUS INVESTMENTSChina became the country’s largest foreign investor in 2013 by?supporting?numerous road, port and airport developments, 98% of which investments took the form of soft loans, said Nitin Gokhale, a national?security?analyst.Fmr. Economic Development Minister, Basil RajapaksaThe example cited by the opposition was the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa Port in Hambantota, for which the Chinese provided almost 85% of the total cost of the US$307m first stage. But after completion in 2010, the landmark project had only received six ships in 2011 and 18 ships in 2012.The cost of the second stage is now estimated at an additional US$1.1bn.Half an hour away stands the near-empty Mattala Rajapaksa International airport. Built with the help of a US$209m Chinese loan, the airport incurred an operational loss of Rs 2,750m during last year alone.Last year, the opposition sent a fact-finding team to the area,Wholesale Jerseys China, and was threatened and pelted with eggs. The local mayor, Kavinda Fernando, was seen charging them with what he later described as “only a plastic gun”.Current Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, who is serving his third stint, said the new government would work on making the airport more viable.MOST EXPENSIVE HIGHWAYAnother such project is the four-lane Colombo-Katunayake Expressway, which was found to be the most expensive highway ever built in terms of cost of each kilometre, with the government spending Rs 1.8 bn per km on the 26km expressway linking the capital Colombo to the Bandaranaike International Airport.Chamal Rajapaksa was the Speaker of the ParliamentComparing it to another Chinese project, a 50km highway in Kenya that had only cost Rs. 972m per km, Mangala Samaraweera, a United National Party (UNP) MP, told reporters: “Clearly someone or other has earned Rs 1bn per km on the Katunayake Expressway”.The $1.4bn Colombo Port City project also came under heavy criticism with regard to alleged financial misappropriations in the deal, after another UNP MP, Harsha De Silva, revealed one of project’s major investors – the China Communications?Construction Company?(CCCC) –?had been blacklisted by?the World?Bank due to?corruption?charges.A report published in August 2013 by the Government Servants Against?Corruption?organisation revealed the tender for the South Port project “lacked transparency” and was