- Known as Royal Beach Saman in the South
- Accused of several crimes;
- Kosgoda Sujee said to be the main opponent
The Chairman of the Ape Jana Bala Party (Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya) Saman Perera, who obtained 67758 votes in the last General Election and obtained a National List seat, has requested the Election Commission to gazette his name as a National List Member. The state intelligence service had officially submitted a report to the government in September last year that he was an underworld figure in the South. This person also submitted nominations for the last presidential election. State intelligence reports were obtained after Saman became the party’s chairman.
Saman Prasanna Perera is popularly known in the South as ‘Royal Beach Saman‘. He has been accused of several deaths related to the underworld that rocked the South and is said to be a hated figure in an underworld gang in the South. He is the owner of the Royal Beach Hotel in Induruwa and initially worked as a tour guide. He is said to have inherited a large fortune after marrying a wealthy doctor.
Some sections affiliated with the Ape Jana Bala Party suspect that this person will continue to remain in the national list seat of the party without giving it to Ven. Galagoda Aththe Gnanasara Thera as proposed by the Central Committee of the party.
Royal Beach Saman alias Saman Perera is currently facing a number of charges and has been remanded and in custody on several occasions while several murder cases are pending.
He is accused of shooting dead former Balapitiya Pradeshiya Sabha chairman Stanley Thabru and his son Terry Thabru. He is also accused of the murder of Induruwe Saman. It is reported that Kosgoda Suji, who is currently abroad, is one of the main opponents and the duo has often been involved in conflicts over tourism and property issues.
There is a rumor that Saman Perera also paid a large sum of money to obtain the Ape Jana Bala Party (Ape Jana Bala Pakshaya). He is also reported to have been closely associated with Namal Kumara, who recently created a story about a plot to assassinate former President Maithripala Sirisena.
