It has been revealed that among the independent groups that contested and won seats in the Colombo Municipal Council in the recent local government elections, one group is reportedly linked to individuals involved in drug trafficking and underworld activities.
A prominent figure associated with this group is Lal Peiris, commonly known as “Kudu Lal” in the media and by the police. Lal Peiris has longstanding ties with both the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) and the United National Party (UNP). Despite being frequently mentioned in police reports, he has not faced court charges for many years, allegedly due to his high-level political connections.
Although he was closely affiliated with the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, the SLPP refused to grant him a party nomination. In the 2006 local government election, Lal Peiris contested independently under the “Candle” symbol and was elected as a Colombo Municipal Councilor.
Following threats and repression from rival underworld factions at the time, Lal Peiris fled the country and is currently residing in England. His twin sons later entered Colombo politics and reportedly developed strong ties with the UNP through a powerful minister. However, the UNP did not nominate them for candidacy. At the last moment, they contested under the “Post Box” symbol and secured two seats.
These two seats strengthened their influence within the UNP. One seat was taken by one of Lal Peiris’ sons, while the other went to the group’s leader. After the leader was assassinated, Lal Peiris’ other son assumed the vacant council position. Both sons supported the UNP during the previous municipal administration.
In the most recent local election, Lal Peiris’ sons contested under an independent group and won three municipal council seats.
Currently, the National People’s Power (NPP) claims that it has secured the support of all independent groups, including this one, to form the majority in the Colombo Municipal Council.
