• CSN may be guilty of violating court order by seeking management changes

By Ashanthi Warunasuriya and Hafsa Sabry

Apart from the CSN TV channel, Singhe FM, Red FM and a Tamil radio station were managed by CSN. With the fall of the Rajapaksa regime and after CSN came under the scrutiny of the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) on money laundering charges, many attempts were made by CSN to change the TV and radio station administrations. While this was the plan, questions were raised as to how this could be done when there is an ongoing court case against the CSN management.

Yoshitha Rajapaksa at CSN

Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media, Gayantha Karunathilake when contacted, confirmed to The Sunday Leader that Red FM had been sold to another party and that investigations were carried out to ascertain how this happened as there is a court order to the effect that no changes can be made to CSN TV or its subsidiary radio stations.

“Investigations were carried out with regard to the management change of Red FM. These reports have now been sent to the Attorney General’s Department (AG) seeking their recommendations to take further action,” Minister Karunathilake said.

CSN obtained the licence to run TV and radio channels on March 3, 2011 and began broadcasting their programmes on March 7, 2011. It is alleged that they obtained TV and radio frequencies from the Independent Television Network (ITN).

“Investigations are taking place to ascertain how CSN obtained ITN frequencies to operate a private channel,” Minister Karunathilaka said.

When asked whether the management of CSN TV too had been changed following the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) and FCID initiated investigations into its funds, Minister Karunathilake said he was unaware of it.“The ministry is unaware of any change in the CSN management or whether they made any attempt to do so. Since there is an ongoing court case against CSN they cannot make any changes. In the event they do so, the ministry will take strict action against them for blatantly violating the court order,” Minister Karunathilake added.

CSN is also accused of taking over the broadcasting rights of international cricket matches arbitrarily and for misusing state-owned transmission towers to broadcast CSN programmes causing huge losses to the state. They are also accused of not paying broadcasting fees to the state and spending money instead on developing the Carlton Sports Network.

After the initial investigations, it has now come to light that CSN is owned by the Rajapaksa family although they claimed otherwise when allegations of corruption were levelled against them.

On January 30, Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Rohan Weliwita, Nishantha Ranatunga and two others were arrested on money laundering charges.Meanwhile, a reliable CSN source told The Sunday Leader that due to the troubled situation in the channel during the past few months, Rohan Weliwita took steps to restructure the television channel in December 2015. Accordingly he had started several new programmes with certain modifications with the help of media colleagues attached to other media institutions. Since the CSN was facing financial losses, those who stepped in to help Weliwita had done so on freelance basis.

Director General, Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Sunil S. Sirisena said Carlton Sports Network launched Wish Radio last year and added that he is not aware of whether there was a change in the management.

“All CSN FM channels now come under Wish Radio after the re-launch of CSN Radio,” Sirisena said.

Meanwhile Deputy Minister of Mass Media, Karunasena Paranavithana said the government is closely monitoring CSN to find out whether a management change will take place.

“The court has given orders to CSN not to make any changes to the organisation as it is under scrutiny for money laundering. Five members of their management are now in remand custody for failing to explain how they received the US$ 2.3 million invested in CSN. If they could show the accounts for Rs. 7 million, why couldn’t they show accounts for US$ 2.3 million? Since the matter in now in courts, CSN cannot make any changes and in the event they ignore the court ruling, they can be charged with contempt of court,” he added.All attempts to obtain an official comment from CSN failed as no one at CSN wished to make any comment.

Despite the CSN claim that Rajapaksa family does not own the CSN network nor has invested money in it, questions have been raised as to why Mahinda Rajapaksa allowed CSN to maintain an office at the Presidential Secretariat during his time.

Highly reliable sources from the Presidential Secretariat confirmed to The Sunday Leader that CSN was given a separate spacious room to do their work with all the security provided and that the office was not used by any other CSN staffer but only by Namal Rajapaksa and some of his closest allies.

According to the sources, most of CSN important CDs had been kept in their office at the Presidential Secretariat and sources added that Rajapaksas had forgotten to take them back when they were clearing their belongings at the Presidential Secretariat following Mahinda Rajapaksa’s unexpected defeat on January 8.

“We believe Rajapaksas have forgotten and had left the Presidential Secretariat without taking any CSN files and CDs. There are more than 1,000 CDs left behind together with important CSN documents. Although the CSN Management denied its involvement with the Rajapaksas, it is now up to the Carlton Network to come and explain as to how an outside company was given permission to have one of their officers at the Presidential Secretariat which is the office of the President of this country. Even those who now criticize the FCID for arresting Yoshitha Rajapaksa for a crime he has not committed, it is up to Mahinda Rajapaksa to come and tell as to why he allowed the CSN to operate an office within the Presidential Secretariat where it is not bound to have any outside offices within the secretariat.

“It is only the President that can give permission to allow to have any office in this building and as claimed by the CSN management, if they do not have any involvement with Rajapaksas, then it is up to the CID to find out as to how a private company was allowed to have their office at the Presidential Secretariat which was a security threat,” sources said.

However when this matter was exposed last year, Rohan Weliwita, the Media Coordinator to Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is now in remand custody over money laundering charges, denied of operating a CSN office at the Presidential Secretariat.

• Allegations that Rajapaksa loyalists are still ‘ruining’ the show
• Controversial appointments
• Non-implementation of Weliamuna recommendations
• Failure to appoint the best to critical stations

by Nirmala Kannangara

Board of Inquiry Chairman J. C. Weliamuna handing over the report to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, while Minister of Ports Arjuna Ranatunga looks on

There is much concern in SriLankan Airlines circles as to the manner in which the national carrier is being pushed into becoming a further debt-ridden institution.

It is alleged that the Board of Directors have divided into two groups and do not see eye to eye over certain decisions that have adversely affected the national carrier. Reliable inside sources who wished to remain anonymous told The Sunday Leader that it is disheartening to know that the Director Board is allowing Rajapaksa loyalists who mismanaged the airline during the previous regime with the then infamous Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe, to further ruin the institution.

Further, questions have been raised as to why the SriLankan Airlines Board of Directors have so far failed to implement the recommendations of the Weliamuna Report which would greatly help the cash-strapped national carrier to gain profits once again.

“We expected the yahapalanaya administration to remove the inexperienced Rajapaksa loyalists recruited and given promotions during Nishantha Wickramasinghe’s administration and bring back the experienced officials to run the airline. Dashing all our hopes, only the faces in the Board of Directors changed after the January 8 victory, but the people who have so many allegations against them have been given a free hand to ruin the national carrier further,” sources claimed.

A military officer

“The controversial appointment of the former Head of Inflight Services as General Manager (Airport and Ground Services) on February 8 is one example as to how Rajapaksa stooges is well looked after by the Board of Directors. This particular employee was a military officer and walked into the Human Resources Department of Sri Lankan Airlines with a letter from the then Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, to get the position of Head of Inflight Services.

The only qualification he had to get that position was Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s letter that instructed Sri Lankan Airlines to offer him the post. However after he assaulted one of his managers he was transferred to the Security and Investigations Department but interestingly, no disciplinary action was taken against him. Instead, the present administration gave him a promotion as General Manager (Airport and Ground Services),” the sources claimed.

According to the sources, six highly experienced applicants within the institution applied for the same post although it was given to the applicant who had neither the experience nor any idea of how to discharge duties in the new post.

“Since the new General Manager (Airport and Ground Services) does not have any experience, a former senior airport official who went on retirement a few months ago was re-recruited as Consultant (Airport Services) early this month to assist the new General Manager (Airport and Ground Services).

Addressing a certain section of our staff, CEO Suren Ratwatte has said the most experienced person was selected for the said post. If he is the most experienced person for the post, then why was a consultant recruited to assist him? Isn’t this an additional burden to the already debt-ridden airline?” the sources alleged.

According to the sources, during Nishantha Wickramasinghe’s administration, it was this same person together with then CEO Kapila Chandrasena that awarded the General Sales Agencies (GSA) to nine far eastern countries out of tender procedure. “This had an adverse impact on the airline, and they were planning to give China, the third largest market, to one of their stooges as well. Luckily the government changed before this was given,” the sources further claimed.

It is also now expected that the airline will in May this year appoint as Chief Marketing Officer, SriLankan Airlines, a senior officer currently working for Emirates Airlines, heaping more loss upon the institution. “This particular Emirates official is a senior person who has the expertise and knowledge, but our question is what made SriLankan Airlines  appoint a Chief Marketing Officer carrying a salary of more than one million rupees when a Chief Commercial Officer has been appointed? We understand that it is a very senior minister in the government that had wanted the airline to reserve this post till May as the Emirates official is expected to go on retirement in May this year,” the sources said.

Speaking about the appointment of Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) SriLankan Airlines, the sources said employees were surprised as to why a salary of a staggering Rs. 3.8 million is paid per month to this new appointee.

“In addition to the monthly remuneration, he is being given a two hundred and forty thousand rupee housing rent plus other perks. Half the Board members were against paying such a high salary to the CCO but the Chairman, the CEO and a few members of the Board went ahead to pay him this salary when other Board members were strictly against the idea,” the sources added.

Meanwhile, it is also learnt how the Head of Cargo who was taken on contract basis during the previous regime was made permanent on January 1, 2016 despite his failure to make the cargo division accrue profits. “He was brought to the airline by Namal Rajapaksa as this Head of Cargo was in Nil Balakaya. The cargo division began losing over Rs. 100 million per month since his appointment. In addition he was given a warning letter for obtaining a vehicle allowance despite being given a company maintained vehicle. Despite all this, we are surprised as to why he was made permanent,” the sources claimed.

The sources further accused the management of failure to appoint experienced staff to critical stations to prevent losses, as at present most of these critical stations are incurring losses. “If the government appointed people that have experience in the airline trade to the Board of Directors, this situation would not have occurred.

Critical areas neglected

Since they do not know what the critical areas are and how to minimise losses, they do not know the importance of appointing the best officials to the right positions. The previous regime sent a Grade 11 (G11) Senior Manager to Singapore where only 19 flights are operating every week. This station makes only US$ 12 million per annum, and there is no necessity to send a senior manager to such a place. The former Head of World Sales who was the Campaign Manager of Sajin Vass Gunawardena appointed all his friends to critical stations although they did not have the experience. No one could question these appointees. After the fall of the Rajapaksa regime, we briefed the new management of this but to no avail. These complaints have fallen on deaf ears.

Although Colombo is the main critical station with a monthly turnover of over Rs. 1.5 billion, still the inexperienced officer who was appointed by the former Head of World Sales is given the freedom to carry out his duties. Under these circumstances, cash-strapped SriLankan Airlines will incur further losses,” the sources alleged.

Meanwhile there is also concern over why SriLankan Airlines is still considering going ahead with the controversial air bus deal made by the previous regime.

“A country such as ours does not need to have A350 aircraft that can fly for more than 14 hours continuously. Public Enterprises Development Minister Kabir Hashim is on record stating that the State owned carrier is making losses on its long-haul routes. If so, why does the government still want to go ahead with the deal to purchase aircraft that are manufactured for long haul journeys?” the sources queried.

However refuting these allegations, a SriLankan Airlines Spokesman said some of the recommendations in the Weliamuna Report had been implemented and the recommendations that cannot be implemented internally are now being investigated by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID), Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry for Fraud and Corruption (PRECIFAC).

“When we informed the 11 member committee appointed by the Prime Minister what we implemented out of the Weliamuna Report recommendations, the committee was satisfied with the implementations. Hence, no one can say that we did not implement any recommendation of the report,” the Spokesman said.

He further said the appointment of the General Manager (Airport and Ground Services) was made on the recommendation of Minister Kabir Hashim and Deputy Minister Eran Wickramaratne. “This particular officer is a highly decorated war veteran and is the most suitable person to stop the human smuggling that is taking place at the airport. Those who are levelling allegations do not want to stop the human smuggling racket but to continue it. Although there were allegations levelled against the newly appointed General Manager, the Minister and the Deputy Minister after going through the investigation reports, cleared him of all the allegations,” the Spokesman said.

Consultant

The Spokesman, however, said he was not aware as to whether a consultant had been recruited to help out the newly appointed General Manager (Airport and Ground Services).

According to the Spokesman, there are three vacancies to be filled at the Marketing Division but added that since it is not necessary considering the present financial crisis, the airline will not fill the vacancies.

“We have never reserved the Chief Marketing Officer’s post for someone who is presently working for another airline. As claimed by your sources, the airline did not recruit the Chief Commercial Officer for a monthly salary of Rs. 3.8 million. He is paid a very much lower salary. It is interesting that the questions your newspaper is posing had been raised at COPE as well. It is an organised group that is spreading all these rumours,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Spokesman confirmed to this newspaper that the airline had made the Head of Cargo permanent. Speaking of appointments to stations, he said new appointments were made to all stations six months ago and added that those who were incompetent were re-called and those who are competent appointed in their place.

In regard to the A350 airbus deal, the Spokesman said the airline is making every effort to cancel the contract. “At the moment we have enough of aircraft and do not need any more. We are legally obliged to go ahead with the deal but are trying to get this cancelled which is not an easy task,” he said.

by Ifham Nizam

Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya

Energy sector experts are questioning the recent move by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in purchasing a 15-year old 60MW mounted power plant for Rs. 641 million or 571 million yen.

The 60MW Barge Mounted Power Plant (BMPP) was owned by Colombo Power Private Limited (CPPL) which had a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with CEB since June, 1, 2000. CPPL, an Independent Power Producer (IPP) was established in 1998 as a BOI company by two Japanese entities, Mitsui Engineering & Shipping Co. Ltd. (MES) and Kawasho Corporation on a 50/50 basis. MES is one of the successful heavy industry companies and Kawasho is one of the major trading companies in Japan. The project was financed by the Japan Bank of International Cooperation (JBIC) and some other commercial banks. MES was the main EPC contractor.

Officials told The Sunday Leader that  they were puzzled at  the CEB’s decision after the two Japanese companies made a proposal to continue for another five years after the agreement came to an end last year. The Japanese companies urged that they would hand it over free of charge once the five-year  period is completed.

The other factor to consider is that if the CEB had any idea of purchasing a plant they should have made proposals in 2014 in keeping with the generation plan. Thus, the purchase now would not come under the generation plan and the country’s energy sector regulating body, the Public Utilities Commission of Sri Lanka (PUCSL) has not endorsed any such agreement.

Newly appointed Power and Renewable Energy Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya said he had given the CEB a four month time period for an energy plan. When the Minister issued the orders, neither the Colombo barge nor the CEB barge were added to the generation plan which is improper according to the Utilities Act.

Sri Lanka Electricity Act, No. 20 of 2009, Chapter V on New Generation Plant and Overhead Lines says (1) Subject to section 8, no person shall operate or provide any new generation plant or extend any existing generation plant, except as authorised by the Commission under this section.

However, when contacted, CEB Chariman Anura Wijayapala told The Sunday Leader that the due process was followed and that under the PPA they had a provision to purchase the plant. He said the plant is running at full capacity. When asked whether they had received the greenlight from the Commission, he said they would have received permission to operate it.

He also said the plant would be of paramount importance to strengthen the Hambantota Port and plans are underway to strengthen the supply there.

However, a CEB committee appointed for a feasibility study and recommendations, stated that considering the age of the plant, an independent consultation report on the hull condition needs to be obtained before taking a decision on the acquiring option of the plant, since the hull repairs, hull painting and dry dock services are very expensive in consideration with the acquiring price.The Committee also said, “Even in the case of the CEB acquiring and operating the plant, consideration should be made on cost involvement of disposal of the plant at the end of life time and reclamation of port premises for handing over. In such case the option of selling the scrap value of the remaining plant for steel can be considered. The net weight of the Barge is 6200 tonnes. Nearly 65 percent is expected to be steel. Therefore effective steel weight would be 4000 ton. The cost of steel can be averaged as USD 445.43/ton.”

The agreement on purchasing of electricity from the power plant expired on June 30, 2015.

It is understood the proposal to purchase the plant was made by former Power and Energy Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka and the cabinet of ministers had given its approval to go ahead.

The plant had been run for 110,000 hours but it had been well-maintained and could be operated upto around 250,000 hours or more.

The powership consists of four 15 MW units, totalling the plant capacity to 16 MW. Although the plant is estimated to generate 420 GWh per annum, the actual average generation is 494 GWh, 74 GWh above initial estimates. The barge was built by Sasebo Heavy Industries, with funding from the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.According to the power purchase agreement, the CEB  earlier paid nearly US 6 cents per kilowatt hour (one unit) at present for the power supplied by the barge mounted plant.

When operations commenced in 2000, the Japanese claimed it was a brand new plant. “This is a brand new power plant, assembled for this project,” said Akitsu Odagaki, Chairman and Managing Director of Colombo Power (Pvt) Ltd, a joint venture between Mitsui Engineering and Shipbuilding and Commercial Corporation, both of Japan.

However, some experts question the number of hours utilised, claiming that even if the plant had run 100% they would not have achieved that task. “Unless it was used before, usually it is about 50% or a little more when it comes to usage.”

The barge containing the power plant was permanently moored in the harbour for the duration of the contract.

History of Barge Mounted Power Plant

Sri Lanka’s first ever Barge Mounted Power Plant located at the  Colombo Port was commissioned  by Minister of Power and Energy Anuruddha Ratwatte in 2000.

The plant connected to the national grid of the CEB  supplied 420 GWH of electricity per year, nearly five per cent of the electricity demand of Sri Lanka, during that period.

The Barge Mounted Power Plant was a result of the agreement signed between the Sri Lankan Government and Mitsui Engineering and Shipping Co. Japan in 1998 to develop the 60 MW power plant within the Colombo Port on Build, Own, Operate, (BOO) basis. The power supply company is Colombo Power Private Limited with a share capital of Rs. 1108 million. The barge was connected to Kelanitissa Gas Insulated Sub Station by an underground Super High Voltage Cable.

Speaking at a ceremony at the time the Minister said only 53% of Sri Lankans have access to electricity. “This means that within the next ten years, at least 90% of the population should be able to have the benefit of electricity.” The Minister pointed out that the present hydro power capacity of 1140 MW and thermal power capacity of 470 MW is insufficient to meet the growing annual demand for electricity which is around 9%.

The Minister said that the government’s objective of venturing into a project like this one is two-fold. “One is the government’s  duty to fulfil the electricity needs of the citizenry and the other is the necessity to provide basic infrastructure facility to promote both local and foreign investments”.

At the event, former Chairman of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Arjun Deraniyagala said this decision was taken after the CEB foresaw the dangerous clouds looming in the horizon regarding Sri Lanka power. “It was obvious that the country would face a major power crisis if we did not seek an alternative to hydro power,” he said.

He also said that the Barge Mounted Power Plant was easier to maintain than a land-based power plant. “But the CEB is facing difficulties in meeting expenses with the price of a crude oil barrel increasing by three-fold in the world market,” he said adding that coal power plants were the most affordable and effective for Sri Lanka. “We have plans to establish coal power plants in the near future and till then oil power plants will be put to maximum use,” he said.

By Nirmala Kannangara, Ashanthi Warunasuriya and Hafsa Sabry

Startling revelations have now surfaced as to how Minister of Special Projects in the Mahinda Rajapaksa government S. M. Chandrasena had allegedly misappropriated public funds in the guise of ‘development’ in the Anuradhapura District.

In 2007 too Chandrasena was accused of massive fraud at the Agrarian Insurance Board and Agrarian Services where it was alleged he swindled monies meant for farmers affected by the Mavil Aru LTTE attack.

Chandrasena is accused of shifting the Thambuttegama weekly fair venue to a State land adjoining the Thambuttegama tank from which deal he is alleged to have earned millions of rupees.

“The weekly Thambuttegama fair was very popular amongst the villagers, and everyone had easy access to it. When Chandrasena was the Minister of Special Projects and Deputy Minister of Economic Development, he wanted to shift the fair to a Mahaweli Authority land adjoining the Tambuttegama tank for personal reasons,” a Mahaweli Authority official told The Sunday Leader.

Former Minister S. M. Chandrasena

According to the sources, the reason why Chandrasena wanted to shift the fair to the State land adjoining the Thambuttegama tank was to get his own land filled using State funds.

“When Chandrasena wanted the Mahaweli Authority to release a land for the weekly fair, he obtained another land for his personal usage. As this was a marshy land, Chandrasena got the two lands filled together using State funds,” the sources alleged.

In a letter to Residential Project Manager, Mahaweli Authority, Thambuttegama, dated March 24, 2014, S.M. Chandrasena had requested the release of a land to host the Thambuttegama weekly fair.

“When the people asked why the fair was to be shifted to a place which did not have proper access facilities, the former Minister said that conducting the fair in Thambuttegama was dangerous due to vehicular traffic. The former Minister however was not worried about the peoples’ safety but merely wanted to get the land he obtained from the Mahaweli Authority filled with State funds. As he cannot use public funds for his personal work, he wanted to shift the age-old Thambuttegama fair to the new location and got both lands filled using public money,” the sources said.

According to the sources, although Chandrasena had obtained money to put up shelters in the fair, the old iron bars and roofing sheets which had been at the Thambuttegama fair were fixed at the new premises.

“We are yet to find out how much Chandrasena obtained funds to put up shelters at the new fair. So where has this money gone? This has to be investigated,” the sources alleged.

The sources further said people were now facing much hardship during rainy days and also they have no proper shelter to protect from the scorching sunshine.

“We are in the north central province where the climate is very hot. Those who go to the fair during the rainy season get wet and during the dry season, they cannot escape from the scorching sun. As a result, the traders hardly go to the fair now to sell their crops but use alternate places to conduct business,” the sources said.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised as to why Chandrasena had got a community centre built on his land which was filled with State funds at a cost of Rs. 30 million.

“Once again using State funds, Chandrasena got this building constructed on his personal land spending Rs. 30 million. It is now up to the present government to find out as to how Chandrasena accumulated such a large wealth during his tenure as a Minister. It is alleged that Chandrasena has put all his money in his wife and son’s accounts,” the sources alleged.

Details have also now come to light that Chandrasena allegedly continues to evade repaying a loan he obtained in 2001 when he was the Agriculture Services Minister in the Chandrika Bandaranaike government.

Chandrasena had obtained a loan amounting to Rs. 1.275 million from the Agricultural Community Services Bank in Mihintale to form the Janatha Lanka Chillie Sales Company Limited. However, no company had been formed, and no steps were taken to repay the loan. According to the Agricultural Community Services Bank (ACSB), the loan had been obtained in three stages and only three hundred and ninety five thousand rupees (Rs. 395,000) had been paid back over the past 15 years causing a huge loss to the bank.

According to the ACSB sources who wished to remain anonymous, several reminders had been sent to Chandrasena, but he has ignored the balance payment of Rs.23.294 million which includes the interest for the past 15 years.

“Because of Chandrasena’s failure to repay the loan, the bank is now hesitant to give loans to the farmer communities in Anuradhapura. When we informed the present Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake about this predicament, he promised to look into it and recover the money, but he too is ignoring the bank request,” the sources claimed.

Meanwhile T. B. Somapala, a committee Member of the Agrarian Services Committee, said farmers can obtain loans amounting to Rs. 50,000. He added that the loan had to be paid within four harvesting seasons. “The loan has to be settled within two years, failing which the matter will be referred to the mediation board. If the defaulter still fails to comply with the mediation board instructions, legal action will be taken to recover the money,” Somapala said.

According to Somapala, when another reminder was sent to Chandrasena a few weeks ago, the former minister had sent a message stating he could not pay Rs. 23. 294 million but would pay only Rs.1.2 million, the amount he obtained over 15 years ago.

“The Agrarian Services Committee met a few weeks ago and took a decision to send yet another reminder to Chandrasena requesting him to pay back the loan immediately. Upon receiving the letter, he informed the Committee that he will only repay the amount he obtained in 2001 but not the interest,” Somapala added.

Somapala blamed ACSB officials for releasing funds to an individual instead of releasing it to the organisation.

“The bank has not taken any action against Chandrasena who defrauded the institution. Will they show mercy towards the farmers when they fail to repay loans even for a few months?” he queried.

Meanwhile, another member of the committee on condition of anonymity told The Sunday Leader that it is highly dubious as to why such a big loan was given to Chandrasena when this bank’s primary objective is to help out farmers and not politicians or ministers.

“Chandrasena has a bad record of misappropriation of State funds, and this is one fine example. In 2006, he is alleged to have taken the money meant for the Mavil Aru farmers,” the sources claimed.

Meanwhile, allegations have also been levelled at Chandrasena and his henchmen for defrauding the bank of yet another Rs. 2.6 million but the agrarian committee members say they are unaware as to why this loan had been granted.

“Since the bank is now running without enough funds, it has badly affected the farmer communities because they are unable to get loans from the bank. The farmers are facing hardships without money while the former minister is enjoying his life with public funds. The farmers are tired of making attempts to get the money back to the bank as all their requests have fallen on deaf ears. In the event the bank and Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake fail to address this issue at the earliest and pave the way for the farmers to obtain loans, the farmers are planning to stage protests,” the sources added.

When this newspaper tried to contact S.M. Chandrasena to get a comment on the allegations levelled against him, his personal staffer said the parliamentarian was not well and was warded in a private hospital in Kurunegala.

When contacted, Chandrasena’s chief security officer told us that Chandrasena was taking treatment at a private hospital in Colombo and that he is unable to make any comment to the paper. When informed that there were serious allegations against the MP, and that the newspaper needed to get a comment, his wife came on the line, but she too said that the phone could not be given to her husband as he was receiving treatment at a hospital in Negombo.

“My husband has got dengue and is on medication. I will convey the message to him once he gets up,” she said. At the time of this newspaper going to press, Chandrasena had not returned our calls nor sent us a comment.

By Nirmala Kannangara

The Department of Forest Conservation has come under severe criticism for approving a mini hydropower project within the Dellawa Forest Reserve in the Neluwa Divisional Secretariat in the Galle District which is expected to have a disastrous impact on the ecology. Approval for this project had been granted in 2014 and questions have been raised as to whether the Forest Department was forced to extend its approval as the project proponent is the Joint Chief Executive Officer of Vallibel Power Erathna PLC which is owned by none other than Dhammika Perera, close associate of former President and current Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa.

Anda Dola, a tributary of Gin Ganga, is the latest victim of rapidly spreading mini hydropower projects in the country. Environmentalists are querying as to how the Department of Forest Conservation as the project approving authority gave their approval to Easa Hydro Technologies (Pvt) Limited to start a hydropower project within a forest reserve.

The Chief Executive Officer of Easa Hydro Technologies (Pvt) Ltd, Russel de Silva, had submitted an application in 2013 seeking approval to start the Anda Dola mini hydropower project to supply electricity to the national grid. An Initial Environment Examination (IEE) had been done in 2014 which is said to have been carried out by vested parties without even visiting the sites and most of the environmental impacts have not been stated in the report.

“Neither the Forest Department nor the Irrigation Department can now claim that the IEE report submitted by the project proponent is irregular as they have to check whether the IEE had been carried out unbiased and whether it had been done according to their guidelines and whether the ‘experts’ who conducted the examination visited the sites,” an environmentalist said on condition of anonymity.

Be that as it may, questions have now been raised as to why the project proponent Russel de Silva gave the official address of Easa Hydro Technologies as No 4, Narahenpita Road, Nawala which has turned out to be a bogus address.

According to the Irrigation Department, all letters sent to the Nawala address had been returned. An investigation carried out by this newspaper revealed that Russel de Silva is the joint CEO of Vallibel Power Erathna PLC which is owned by the former Secretary Transport Ministry and one-time Chairman, Board of Investment (BOI), Dhammika Perera, and De Silva’s reachable address is not the Nawala address but 27-2, East Tower, World Trade Centre, Colombo 1, which is the official address of Vallibel Finance.

Fake address

All attempts to contact Russel de Silva to find out why a fake address was provided in his application and why an irregular IEE report was submitted to the Forest and Irrigation Departments and why most of the conditions stipulated by the Forest and Irrigation Departments were ignored by him when constructions were carried out, failed and none of this reporter’s calls were returned.

The Sunday Leader visited Vallibel Power Erathna PLC, 27-2, East Tower, World Trade Centre on Wednesday, February 24 to meet Russel de Silva who was in his office at the time, but De Silva refused to meet the representative of the newspaper claiming he was at a meeting. Although all contact details of this reporter were sent to him, De Silva failed to contact the newspaper to make any comment. When a call was made the following day, De Silva was still at meetings and did not want to spare even a few seconds to answer the call.

When contacted, Director Irrigation (Galle and Matara), Engineer Deepika Priyani Thrimahavithana confirmed to The Sunday Leader that the IEE report was irregular.

In a letter dated January 18, 2016, Thrimahavithana had informed Director General Irrigation how the environment had been adversely affected due to this project although 75 per cent of the construction of the weir had been completed.

According to the letter, the fish ladder suggested by the Irrigation and Forest Departments had not been placed and the number of trees that had been felled for construction work had exceeded the number stated in the IEE report and the loss of vegetation on the slopes of the mountains had resulted in soil erosion. The letter further explains how the Dellawa River banks had faced erosion due to illegal removal of sand by the contractors at night time to be used for the power project construction work.

Meanwhile, Thrimahavithana said how the IEE report had deliberately failed to state that more than 200 families in Anda Dola, Dellawa, Upper Panangala and Miyenawathura villages use the Anda Dola river for their daily needs and the given details of the water flow were misleading.

“According to the IEE, the water flow near the weir is 580 litres per second which is absolutely incorrect. The water flow is merely 150 litres per second and how could the power project obtain water for their purpose when the normal flow is lesser than what they have stated in the IEE report? Their plan is to divert the river and release a few litres of water into the stream and use the remaining to generate power. In such a backdrop, what will happen to the ecology?” Thrimahavithana said.

“According to the application submitted, the project is to generate 770kw for the national grid, but when one considers the accurate water flow per second, it is questionable as to how Easa Hydro Technologies is going to generate this electricity given the large differences in water levels.

“The water flow given in the IEE is not accurate and although it says that they will release enough water to the stream from the weir, their secret plan is to divert the entire water flow to the powerhouse without releasing any water downstream,” Thrimahavithana alleged.

According to her, once the water flow downstream is reduced, it will badly affect the villagers who will have to suffer without water for their daily needs including for agricultural purposes.

Adverse impacts

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the Environmental Foundation (Guarantee) Limited said that a reduction in water flow through the weir to the spot where Anda Dola meets Dellawa Ela is expected if the project is allowed to go ahead.

“Once the water flow is reduced from the weir, it will adversely affect the aquatic flora and fauna and terrestrial fauna that depend on the stream. The ecology of the area and its importance as a habitat of fauna and flora, some of which are considered endemic or endangered, has not been highlighted in the IEE. The construction of the penstock line (concrete channel) is a disturbance to the species living in the forest. Although the Irrigation Department has specifically laid down a condition that neither the people nor the environment should be affected by the diversion of water, it is now clear that there will be a long-term impact once the water flow is reduced. The Forest Department had clearly stated how the waste should be disposed but concrete and other debris were seen all over the stream hindering the quality of the water and fish habitats and their breeding sites amongst the impact to the environment,” sources alleged.

The sources further said the negligence of the project proponent was the main cause of the massive environment destruction and added that a 6.5 km stretch of Anda Dola would become completely dry once the power generation begins and the entire water flow is diverted to the powerhouse through the weir. He further noted that some of the trees that had been cut down are endemic to the region and are listed in the IUCN red-list of endangered species.

“The massive trench that had been dug through a hill has compromised the steadiness of the soil quantity which may soon result in a severe landslide. Since this project is within a protected forest reserve, why did the Forest Department fail to ask the project proponent to get an unbiased Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) which had to be open for 30 working days for public comments to see what the negative side of this project could be? Therefore, it is evident that the Forest Department was forced to give their approval to this disastrous project by the Rajapaksa administration since Dhammika Perera was working behind the scenes,” the sources alleged.

Meanwhile, highly reliable sources from the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) accused the Sustainable Energy Authority of promoting destructive mini hydropower projects which produce inferior quality electricity for the national grid.

Higher interest rate

“Quality electricity could be generated through coal power, large scale hydropower and thermal power projects but not from mini hydropower projects. In regard to the Anda Dola power project, they have stated that they obtained a Rs.210 million loan from Vallibel Finance at 7 per cent interest. When we purchase electricity from such projects, we have to pay a higher rate until the loan is settled and a lower rate is paid once the loan is settled. According to expertise CEB knowledge, the Anda Dola project could have easily been done with Rs.100 million. The reason behind estimating the cost at Rs.210 million is to get a higher rate for the electricity they generate until the loan is settled. This is a trick. The Sustainable Energy Authority should have a proper mechanism to find out whether or not the project proponent is misleading them. By not doing so, the country is losing money,” the CEB sources said.

According to the sources, the CEB has to purchase electricity once the Sustainable Energy Authority recommends it. The sources further said that if the CEB has a method to check the quality of the electricity that is generated through mini hydropower projects, the number of such projects could reduce drastically.

“The electricity produced by thermal and coal maintains a good standard but not the mini hydropower generation. If the quality is not good, the CEB doesn’t purchase electricity from them. So it is a loss to those who produce low quality electricity. Either they will improve their quality or stop producing electricity,” sources said.

According to the sources, once electricity is generated and sold to the CEB, Easa Hydro Technologies will receive around two hundred thousand rupees per day.

By The Third Eye

Forex trading by an unregistered entity is a punishable offence under the exchange control act

Lion Sight Treasury Ltd which is said to be a fund management company based in Sri Lanka, is alleged to have approached high net-worth individuals in Japan with the expectation of soliciting funds, offering them a guaranteed return of 20% after the second year of investment.

Lion Sight Treasury, Lion Sight Forex Trading and Lion Sight Holdings Limited are three companies that are said to be projects under the Board of Investment (BOI).

However, highly reliable officials attached to the Investment Division of the BOI said that of the three companies, the BOI has signed agreements only with two companies but not with the third.

“In the event we find out that any company is misleading the people stating that they are a BOI project, we can take action. We have to go through our reports and find out which company has not taken BOI approval,” the sources said.

According to sources, they have received approval for the monorail project in Sri Lanka and had got a land in front of a proposed monorail station in Colombo to build a hotel project. According to them, they are the first to introduce a monorail system in in the South Asian region under Japanese technology.

Reliable Sri Lankan sources living in Japan told The Sunday Leader that Chairman Lion Sight Treasury Mr. Morisaki has allegedly approached high net-worth individuals in Japan claiming that he was an advisor to the former Transport Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara and obtained approval to initiate the monorail project with an estimated cost of US$ 750 million.

“By saying so, he asks the high net-worth individuals in Japan to invest in the project promising a return of 20% of the initial investment within two years of the investment,” the officials said.

However, Minister Ranjith Madduma Bandara when contacted said that he had a Japanese advisor for a short period when he was the Transport Minister last year but added that he has never given any approval to any party to start a monorail project in the country.

The Sri Lankan community in Japan meanwhile had written to the Governor of the Central Bank to verify the credibility of this company claiming that knowing the business atmosphere in the country, finding a company that promises such a high return for investors is surprising.

“As I am quite familiar with the business atmosphere in Sri Lanka, I believe that this rate of return is relatively high compared to the other market participants and as such, is very attractive to investors. I would be keen to promote such a company in Sri Lanka to my network of clients and investors in the event that the information I have received is viable,” the letter to the Central Bank read.

The Sri Lankan sources meanwhile stated that they want to clarify with the Central Bank of Sri Lanka (CBSL) whether Lion Sight Treasury and Lion Sight Forex Trading are registered companies with the Central Bank or any other government body as a Fund Management/Foreign Exchange trader respectively.

“We want to find out whether these companies are BOI approved institutions as stated by them in their website. Their website also states that they are interested in a transportation project in Sri Lanka- the Central Colombo Transport Hub and Monorail Project. On the company’s website it states that the ‘company is proud to introduce the Central Colombo Transport Hub and Monorail Project’ and that the estimated budget for the project stands at US $ 1.95 Billion,” sources said.

However, when contacted, Additional Secretary, Transport Ministry, Thilakaratne Banda said that many entities have put forward various proposals regarding the matter, but the Ministry of Transport has not yet entertained any such proposals. He further stressed that many private parties have expressed interest in the matter and had provided various proposals to the Ministry, but he is unaware as to whether any of the parties were given the nod by the Ministry.

CBSL stance on illegal Forex

The Central Bank of Sri Lanka has expressed displeasure regarding false entities trying to lure investors under false pretences.
According to the Central Bank, some companies and proprietary concerns have even engaged their employees or agents to personally contact members of the public to entice them to undertake Forex trading with promises of exorbitant returns. These agents and the advertisements on the Internet and in the print and electronic media encourage people to trade in foreign exchange, depositing an initial investment in Sri Lankan rupees with a company, proprietorship concern or individual in Sri Lanka to be transferred later into an online account or, payment through credit, debit or any other electronic funds transfer card direct to an online account opened in the name of the investor.

“The Central Bank in the recent past has come across instances where several persons have lost large sums of monies due to the above activities carried out by unscrupulous individuals and companies. Central Bank wishes to inform the general public that undertaking foreign exchange trading transactions and remitting payments outside Sri Lanka for such transactions by any person without the approval of the Central Bank is illegal and a violation of the provisions of Section 5(1) and 7(a) of the Exchange Control Act. This is considered a punishable offence under the Exchange Control Act and we request the general public not to fall prey to such transactions,” states the CBSL.

Meanwhile, Governor of the Central Bank, Arjuna Mahendran said that no company can solicit funds under false pretences. In any case, if any entity is identified, they will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

Lion Sight Company’s profile states that it is geared to provide infrastructure development facilities with the aid of the BOI, and State Ministries of the Government.  It also states that principally, the projects are related to the transport sector, rehabilitation of the Beira Lake, the second runway and the terminal at Negombo lagoon and agriculture and industrial training centres in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture.

When contacted, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Lion Sight Treasury at Level 4, West Tower, World Trade Centre, Colombo 1, Upali Keppetipola said he was not willing to make any comment about the companies.

“Why should I tell you about these companies? This is not the first time your paper has come after me. Your former Editor contacted me about 15 years ago when I was in England. Please don’t ask anything about this company as I am not ready to make any comment,” Keppetipola said.

by Nirmala Kannangara

Wasim Thajudeen

The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is due to arrest a former Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) who allegedly had a direct hand in closing down the police investigation into the mysterious death of Havelock Sports Club Rugby player and Vice Captain of the Sri Lanka Rugby Team Wasim Thajudeen.

Police sources who wish to remain anonymous said two other police officers who were attached to the Kirulapone and Narahenpita police stations too are to be arrested for aiding and abetting in this regard.

“Though they did not have a direct involvement in the murder, the two police officers acted on the instructions of the then DIG. The DIG is accused of clearing the ‘accident’ site within a few hours which is strictly prohibited, and of altering police records to suggest that the death was due to a fatal accident,” the police sources added.

It is speculated that the two police officers are going to become State witnesses and spill the beans.

“If they are going to confess, why they had to sweep the investigation under the carpet? Who gave them the orders to do so? It will be easier for the CID to nab the culprits who wanted to show that Thajudeen died in a car crash and impede the investigation,” the sources said.

Amongst other possible suspects are two prominent security officers of Mahinda Rajapaksa, and one of them is Captain Tissa, the police sources said.

“There are about 20 identified suspects involved in Thajudeen’s murder. Of them, those who aided and abetted the murders too will be arrested on the directives of the Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris. The arrests will be made based on the incidental and scientific evidences, and all the suspects are now under strict surveillance,” the sources claimed.

When asked about the delay in arresting the suspects because they may leave the country before being arrested, the sources said that none of the suspects can leave the country because the Department of Immigration and Emigration has been duly informed. The sources further said the CID have obtained Captain Tissa’s telephone records to find out who he had spoken with before and after Thajudeen was murdered on May 17, 2012.

It is alleged that this young MP planned the murder since Thajudeen foiled the MP’s attempt to buy the rugby club this rugby player captained, the sources added.

The sources further said this MP and Captain Tissa had discussed the murder over the phone – details of which are now in the possession of the CID. “Unconfirmed reports say these phone conversation details between the MP and Captain Tissa had been retrieved by foreign experts,” the sources claimed.

Meanwhile, the Judicial Services Commission’s (JSC) earlier decision to transfer the Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris as District Judge, Matara came under severe criticism. “When we were informed that the Additional Magistrate was to be transferred, we were puzzled as to who would hear the Thajudeen case and what would happen if the new Magistrate turned out to be a friend of the previous regime. There was an invisible hand behind this attempt, but the JSC cancelled the transfer on December 30, and the entire CID breathed a sigh of relief,” the sources claimed.

After the second post-mortem conducted by Prof. Ajith Tennakoon, irrefutable evidence surfaced that Thajudeen did not die in a car crash accident but he had succumbed to assault injuries.Although it had been claimed earlier that Thajudeen had succumbed to burn injuries that he suffered when his car crashed into a wall near Shalika Grounds in Narahenpita, it became a mystery as to how his wallet was found a few kilometres away from the scene, and how his mobile phone was found in Nuwara Eliya – hundreds of kilometres away from where Thajudeen died.

Meanwhile, Narahenpita police were accused of a deliberate attempt to conceal the facts following their claim that it was an accidental death which was confirmed by the then Colombo Chief Judicial Medical Officer Prof. Ananda Samarasekera in his initial and interim post-mortem reports. However, the Government Analyst’s report states that carbon monoxide had not been found in Thajudeena’s lungs contradicting the first JMO post-mortem report.

“Former DIG Anura Senanayake came under fire for taking a personal interest in classifying the death as an accidental death caused by burn injuries. It was only after the new government came into power that IGP N.K. Illangakoon directed the CID in February to expedite the investigation after the Government Analyst’s report was released two and a half years after the death. There had been so many lapses while conducting the investigation, and they had even failed to obtain CCTV footage from the vicinity immediately after the accident. Unlike at other places, there were many CCTV cameras around the area where the incident took place. The reasons why the investigators failed to obtain this footages is a puzzle. They also deliberately failed to search for his mobile phone and to obtain the call details. They also failed to gather proper evidence from the neighbourhood and from the security guards at Shalika playground. They also should have obtained evidence from the fire brigade officers to find out the reason for the fire,” the police sources said.

According to the sources, glass particles had been found on the reverse side of the deceased’s knee, but it had not been established whether there was a broken bottle in the car.

“It is believed that Prof. Ananda Samarasekera too will have to face the consequence as he could have checked Thajudeen’s injuries and established the way they occurred and checked where the glass particles had come from. It is also surprising as to why these glass particles were not sent to the Government Analyst. Prof. Samarasekera is a medical expert, and it is surprising to see how he was trying to impede the investigation which is against the Hippocratic Oath he has taken,” the sources claimed.

The sources further said law enforcement authorities wanted to bring criminal charges against Dialog Telekom over its alleged failure to cooperate with the investigations.

“Although many requests were made to Dialog Telekom to provide call details taken by certain accused, they did not provide them claiming that they have telephone records only up to three months. When talking about scientific evidence to make a breakthrough, it does not mean that there are only forensic or Judicial Medical Officer’s (JMO) reports. Call details of the victim too are considered as scientific evidence since those details can certainly help make a breakthrough. At one time Dialog Telekom purposely hampered the police investigations when the law of the country could have taken such parties into custody for blocking investigations,” the sources said.

Meanwhile, questions have been raised as to why the former Colombo JMO Prof. Ananda Samarasekera was not called to the scene of the accident, and the body was taken to the mortuary instead to conduct the autopsy.

In an interview to the media, Prof. Samarasekera had stated that he had never been called to the scene of the accident though he could have visited the site easily. He further claims that it was the responsibility of the police to call the JMO to the scene.

According to the sources, Dialog Telekom had later cooperated with the CID and helped make breakthroughs in many criminal cases by giving them mobile call details spanning several years.

“Why did Dialog try to hamper the investigations by not providing the call records to court? We presume that it was because the friendship that those higher officials of Dialog Telekom have with the former first family,” the sources alleged.

Meanwhile, Police Spokesman ASP Ranjith Gunasekera said the suspects are to be arrested before the next hearing date and added that the stage is set to apprehend those who are accused of having a direct hand in the alleged murder and those who aided and abetted in the murder.

“Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris had ordered the CID to arrest and produce not only the suspects who had a direct hand in the murder but also those who ‘helped’ the suspects get away with the murder. The Department of Immigration and Emigration had been notified of these suspects to prevent them from leaving the country. The CID is now closely monitoring these suspects’ movements and there is no way that they can abscond,” the Police Spokesman said.

• With revelations his school buddy too got a free ride in the Navy, the former President’s son is diving deeper into trouble

by Nirmala Kannangara

Yoshitha Rajapaksa

Startling details of how taxpayers had to bear the cost of a British naval training not only to Yoshitha Kanishka Rajapaksa but also to his school friend D. A.K.V. Dissanayake amounting to millions of rupees have now come to light.

Although it is common knowledge that Yoshitha Rajapaksa received training in the United Kingdom with public money, it is now revealed that Dissanayake too had received the same training in UK together with Yoshitha. Both did not have the necessary qualifications to be employed at Sri Lanka Navy nor to go to UK for naval training, highly reliable Navy sources said on condition of anonymity.

It is learnt that the Dissanayake and Rajapaksa families enjoyed a close friendship. It is also revealed that Kavishan Dissanayake who is now in remand custody with Yoshitha on money laundering charges is the brother of D.A.K.V. Dissanayake who had left the Sri Lanka Navy some time ago.

Yoshitha Rajapaksa who will remain in remand custody until March 10th was arrested on January 30th by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) regarding alleged financial irregularities at the Carlton Sports Network (CSN). Former CSN chairman Rohan Weliwita, former CEO Nishantha Ranatunga, Kavishan Dissanayake and Ashan Rabinath Fernando were also remanded on an order by the Kaduwela Magistrate. Yoshitha Rajapaksa was suspended from all naval duties last week.

Navy Spokesman Captain Akram Alavi told The Sunday Leader that Yoshitha’s salary and allowances had been stopped with immediate effect pending inquiry and added that Yoshitha would be sacked if found guilty of the money laundering charges levelled against him.

“Sri Lanka Navy is conducting two investigations into junior Rajapaksa’s unauthorised overseas travel and his involvement in politics while being a naval officer. The Navy was conducting these investigations when Yoshitha was arrested. Although there was a setback to the investigations following Yoshitha’s arrest, the Defence Ministry had directed the Navy Commander to carry out the investigations without any hindrance,” the Spokesman said.

Meanwhile it is also learnt that the Defence Secretary has directed the Navy Commander to investigate whether Yoshitha had the required qualifications to join the Navy, whether the recruitment criteria had been changed in order to pave way for him to join the Navy as a naval officer and how he received overseas scholarships and whether these courses of action had deprived qualified naval officers from obtaining overseas scholarships.

The Navy sources further said the Navy too should be held responsible for recruiting an unqualified applicant as an Officer Cadet in 2006. “When the Navy wanted to recruit Officer Cadets for its 45th intake, by-passing the recruitment procedure, the required educational qualifications were lowered; the applicant had to have six credit passes including Sinhala, Mathematics, English and Science in one sitting but Yoshitha had these qualifications in two sittings and his educational qualification certificates were not in his personal files when the Wettewa Board of Inquiry conducted an investigation on Yoshitha Rajapaksa last year,” sources added.

It is further alleged that the Navy assigned three Navy sailors to Rajapaksa’s security when he was undergoing training at the Naval Maritime Academy in Trincomalee in addition to the security provided in the training area by the Presidential Security Division (PSD).

“The Navy is now conducting investigations into how Yoshitha travelled abroad without the Navy Commander’s approval. Didn’t the Navy know that for the first time in the history of the Sri Lanka Navy, applications were called from those who studied in the arts stream in the Advanced Level although the practice was to call applications from those who had studied in the science stream. It is good that investigations are being carried out on Yoshitha Rajapaksa but the Defence Minister and the Defence Ministry should hold separate investigations into the conduct of those who aided and abetted these irregularities,” sources said.

Having joined the Sri Lanka Navy as an Officer Cadet in 2006, Yoshitha Rajapaksa received basic naval training at the Naval and Maritime Academy in Trincomalee and was promoted as a midshipman and later aide-de-camp (personal assistant) to the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Later he was sent to the Britannia Royal Naval College to become an officer and underwent training on board HMS Ocean during her deployment to the Caribbean and with the Fast Attack Flotilla. Approximately Rs. 25 million of tax payers money was spent on his training.

It was in 2009 that Yoshitha Rajapaksa was commissioned as an acting Sub Lieutenant by none other than his father, the then President of the country. It was during the Rajapaksa regime that he was awarded the East Humanitarian Operation Medal, North and East Operations Medal which is presented to all ranks of the regular and volunteer forces who have served in the northern and eastern provinces and the Purna Bhumi Padakkama for regular and volunteer forces who have served in Jaffna, Vavuniya, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar, Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Ampara districts although it is unclear whether Yoshitha served in these districts.

The Navy sources further said Cadet Officer M. S. Ganewatte had been deprived of the scholarship he was entitled to for the Britannia Royal Naval College training which was offered to Yoshitha Rajapaksa instead.

“Instead of sending Ganewatte on a scholarship to the Britannia Royal Naval College, the place was given to Yoshitha Rajapaksa. Since junior Rajapaksa did not have the required qualification to obtain the UK scholarship, his training was sponsored by the Sri Lankan government which cost more than Rs. 25 million of taxpayer’s money,” sources alleged.

Yoshitha also followed two more courses in sea training at the Maritime Warfare College and HMS Collingwood in Hampshire in the United Kingdom.“If the government spent on training a qualified naval officer there wouldn’t have been any issue over it but depriving qualified officers, offering such exclusive training on a political basis, is a crime,” sources added.

Meanwhile the sources further said Yoshitha Rajapaksa had undertaken yet another training course in Ukraine arranged by the then Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia, Udayanga Weeratunge, first cousin of Mahinda Rajapaksa who now stands accused by the Ukranian Government for selling weapons to Russain separatist rebels whilst holding office as the Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia.

“On the directives of the then Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, Yoshitha was paid the daily foreign allowance, travel allowance and his telephone bills in addition to the training fee. At the passing out parade in Trincomalee, Rajapaksa was named the Midshipman of the Year and was awarded the Sword of Honour by the then Navy Commander Admiral Vasantha Karannagoda in order to be in the good books of President Rajapaksa,” sources said.

With the arrest of Yoshitha, questions have been raised as to how a naval officer could become chairman of a highly invested organisation. The FCID has sought the Kaduwela Magistrate’s approval to check several bank accounts in relation to the ongoing case and requested Magistrate Dhammika Hemapala not to grant bail to the suspects as it could hamper the ongoing investigations.

Meanwhile questions have been raised as to whether the CSN channel was started to fulfill the role of a media organisation or for the purposes of money laundering. Reliable  FCID sources said that the former Head of CSN, Yasara Abeynayake had provided vital information in regard to CSN, its management, the role played by Yoshitha Rajapaksa and where the money came from.

Although Rajapaksa supporters claim that the arrest of Yoshitha Rajapaksa is part of a political witch hunt against the Rajapaksas, the CSN Board of Directors’ failure to divulge from where they got the money to invest in CSN cannot be disputed. Legal sources have meanwhile said that the FCID was too late in arresting the suspects on money laundering charges, as there was substantial evidence to prove that the investments were made from money earned illegally.CSN had an initial capital of Rs. 7 million which had been accounted, but the failure to show how they obtained the US $ 2.3 million that was invested led to the team of investigators concluding that CSN was involved in money laundering.

It is also revealed that further investigations are now underway to ascertain whether the accused had violated the customs ordinance, forged documents, committed criminal breach of trust, criminal misappropriation and misuse of state properties.

As claimed by the Rajapaksas, if CSN was not owned by Yoshitha Rajapaksa, what made the former President allow CSN to operate an office at the Presidential Secretariat in Fort and use a fleet of vehicles assigned for the Presidential Security Division (PSD)?

The CSN network had been registered at an address in Torrington Avenue, Colombo 5 where Mahinda Rajapaksa lived while he was the Opposition Leader from 2001 to 2004. Not only CSN but Siriliya Saviya headed by Shiranthi Rajapaksa, Carlton Pre School, Carlton Sports Club and Namal Rajapaksa’s Tharunyata Hetak too had been registered in the same address at No: 260/12, Torrington Avenue, Colombo 5.

This property was originally owned by Prabath Nanayakkara, a businessman. After Rajapaksa became President in 2005, this property had been bought for a sum of Rs. 35 million by Mary Laud Wickremasinghe alias Shiranthi Rajapaksa (National Identity Card no. 535233314V ).

According to Keerthi Tennakoon, Advisor to the Anti-Corruption Front, Ashan Fernando had invested Rs. 5 million, Gadiya Karunajeewa had invested Rs. 1 million and Kavishan Dissanayake had invested Rs 1 million in CSN.

“Ashan Fernando is a doctor attached to the Mannar Hospital blood bank. Fernando had stated that he invested the money his father had given him. Kavishan Dissanayake has stated that he obtained Rs. 250,000 from his mother, a loan amounting to Rs 250,000 from his uncle and another loan of Rs 500,000 from another uncle. What is surprising is that these individuals had made no attempt to pay back the loans or attempted to obtain annual dividends from the CSN channel. The third member of the director board is Gadiya Karunajeewa, daughter of former Chairman People’s Bank, W. Karunajeewa who was a close associate of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Gadiya Karunajeewa who is presently residing in Australia has never attempted to obtain dividends for the amount she invested,” Tennakoon said.

Tennakoon further stated that CSN had imported vehicles and equipment defrauding Sri Lanka Customs.

“In 2012, an OB bus and equipment for CSN were imported placing an order with Arina in UK and the ES Broadcasting company. As per documents submitted by CSN to Customs Department, the price of the bus was 23,000 Sterling Pounds and 3,200 Sterling Pounds for the equipment. However, the true invoice for the bus reveals that the bus was priced at 300,000 Sterling Pounds and the equipment 140,000 Sterling Pounds,” Tennakoon said.Tennakoon further said that despite being continuously used for activities of the CSN channel for the past three years, the CSN inventory did not mention such a bus. In January 2015 the said OB bus was found parked in one of the stores at the Economic Centre at Narahenpita.

Tennakoon further stated that the building in which the CSN office is located belongs to the Rajapaksa Foundation and constructed by the Nawaloka Construction Company.

“Nawaloka states that in 2010, Rs. 3,000 million was paid to construct the building and it was settled by W. Karunajeewa, former Chairman of the People’s Bank and father of Gadiya Karunajeewa. How did Karunajeewa earn this money to pay Nawaloka Constructions? If so what is the source and origin of the said amount? W. Karunajeewa is no longer amongst the living to answer this question. This shows that CSN was a fake company for the purpose and objective of laundering money,” Tennakoon added.

Meanwhile highly reliable Welikada Remand Prison sources said Yoshitha Rajapaksa and his CSN friends are being accorded special privileges at the Welikada Remand Prison.

“Only three visitors are allowed to visit an inmate per day and they should visit between 8 am and 4.30 pm. There is a special room where the inmates can be met. However, a special room upstairs where the office of the Superintendent of Prison is situated has been provided to Yoshitha and his group to meet visitors. They are also allowed visitors from morning till evening. The ward they have been put in is a large ward and only the five suspects have been kept there while in similar wards usually there are more than 50 inmates per ward,” sources said.

According to the sources, the Commissioner General of Prisons, Nishan Dhanasinghe has to bear sole responsibility for giving special privileges for Yoshitha and his group.

However refuting allegations, Dhanasinghe said that such privileges had not been provided to Yoashitha Rajapaksa and added that if an MP makes a visit, the inmate is taken to a better hall to talk. When asked whether the same applies even if an MP visits an ordinary inmate, the Commissioner General said that if there is a request, a special room will be provided.

• Former AG deliberately avoided giving instructions on FCID investigations resulting in long delays in criminals being brought to book

by Nirmala Kannangara

Wimal Weerawansa and Shashi Weerawansa

The former Attorney General’s (AG’s) failure to advise the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) on what action to take against powerful politicians and major players of the Rajapaksa regime facing bribery and corruption charges, has hampered the legal process, reliable FCID sources said.

The FCID completed investigations into major frauds that took place during the previous regime and submitted the files to the AG’s Department seeking advice for further action, but according to FCID sources, the former AG had deliberately avoided giving instructions on these investigations.

FCID sources on condition of anonymity said that the facts and figures of corruption involving the major players of the Rajapaksa regime are staggering but so far instituting legal action has been delayed because of AG’s Department reticence.

“It is surprising that the AG’s Department did not advice on these cases; we believe it is because they didn’t want us to take legal action as all of them are Rajapaksa supporters,” sources alleged.

FCID sources also said investigations into financial irregularities in the Sri Lankan Tourism Development Board of the Ministry of Tourism have revealed that Rs.5.7 million had been misappropriated during the Rajapaksa regime.

“Former Chairman Tourism Development Board Bashwara Senanka Gunatilaka, former Director General D.S. Jayaweera, former Managing Director Rumy Jaufer and former Finance Director Chathukarage Wimalasena are accused of providing food to Basil Rajapaksa’s Gampaha office while he was Tourism Minister and spending Tourism Development Board funds for the 2015 presidential election campaign work. Charges were filed under the Public Property Act and the ‘B’ report filed in the Fort Magistrate’s Court. Although this had been referred to the AG’s Department, due to the delay in giving instructions, the FCID was unable to take further legal action,” sources added.

“The Ministry of Economic Development initiated ‘Yali Pubudamu’ or Rise Again where Former Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa and Secretary  from the Ministry are accused of financial irregularities. Although the relevant files on this had been submitted to the AG last year by the FCID, we are yet to receive instructions to go ahead with our investigations,” sources claimed.

The AG’s Department’s failure to give its approval to take legal action against former Chairman State Engineering Corporation Raj Edirisuriya for misappropriating Rs.4.8 million during the Rajapaksa regime is a setback, FCID sources said.

The FCID has also filed a ‘B’ report at the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court (B 26907/03/15) against former Housing Minister Wimal Weerawansa and former Chairman of Ocean View Development Company (Pvt) Ltd B. K. J. K. Perera for their alleged involvement in misuse of public property during the Rajapaksa regime.

Weerawansa has allegedly misused his ministerial powers and obtained six houses constructed by Ocean View Development Company (Pvt) Limited which is jointly owned by the Urban Development Authority and National Housing Development Authority. Weerawansa has been accused of giving these houses for a pittance to his and his wife’s siblings without adhering to the normal procedure. He is also charged for his alleged involvement in misappropriation of funds in leasing out the ground floor of Ocean View Development Company to a restaurant. The complaint was lodged by villagers in Hokandara on May 5 and the ‘B’ report filed in Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court (B 40/2015) on May 14 and deeds of the lands in question obtained from the Land Registry of Homagama. Another pending case awaiting AG’s advice is the process Wimal Weerawansa followed when he was the Minister of Housing and Construction to award control of a land worth Rs. 306 Million to his wife Shashi Weerawansa. “Although all the investigations have now been completed, including Shashi Weerawansa’s passport fraud and the BOI company related fraud, the FCID is still anticipating instructions from the AG’s Department. The ‘B’ report (B/40/2015) had been filed at Kaduwela Magistrate’s Court regarding Shashi Weerawansa’s land deals,” sources added.

Former high-ranking officials at Milk Industries of Lanka Company (MILCO) too are under scrutiny in relation to misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs. 600 million.

“The FCID obtained all the documents relevant to the case and former Ministry Secretary and present Chairman Sunimal Ratnayake, former Ministers Arumugam Thondaman, C.B. Ratnayake and Basil Rajapaksa and former Chairman Sunil Wickremasinghe stand accused of fraud. The FCID also obtained statements from Wimal Rajapaksa, Manager MILCO, Chairman of the Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC) of the Desmy Project P. Kapila Srimal, Directors W.D. Prabhath Fonseka, Ajith Dassanayake and Mahinda Navaratne, TEC member W.K.A. Thappawila, Legal Officer Uththara Rodrigo, former Secretaries Livestock Ministry Ashoka Milinda Kodituwakku and A.H. Gamage,” sources added. Although the ‘B’ report had been filed at Fort Magistrate’s Court (B/ 1171/ 15) last year, the FCID is yet to receive instructions from the AG’s Department.

Meanwhile, the former Economic Development Minister is also implicated in financial irregularities in the Isurumath Nivahanak project conducted by the Divi Neguma Department which caused losses amounting to billions of rupees. “Rajapaksa was charged under the Public Property Act, remanded, and later bailed out, for allegedly misusing several billion rupees of Divi Neguma funds. “The minister had given orders to get these calendars printed with Divi Neguma funds. The previous regime said that these calendars were printed to be distributed amongst the Divi Neguma beneficiaries as it is a benefit for them. The first Divi Neguma national convention was held by spending Rs. 63.723 million, bypassing Treasury regulations. We are expecting the AG’s Department to give their advice at the earliest to take further legal action against those who misused public funds,” sources claimed. Meanwhile investigations have been conducted on Pushpa Rajapaksa, wife of Basil Rajapaksa to ascertain how she was able to obtain funds amounting to Rs.19.4 Million (US$ 150,000) allegedly from the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) into the Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation bank account at Peoples Bank, Sri Lanka.  It is learnt that Chairman State Mortgage Bank, Jagath Wellawatte and three former directors too have been questioned about an alleged transfer of funds amounting to Rs.1.5 million from the State Mortgage Bank to the Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation without Cabinet approval. Three more bank officers too have been questioned by the FCID over the alleged money transfer without Cabinet approval.

Meanwhile the Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation had received US$ 150,000 from a Chinese Company, a subsidiary of SLPA. This Chinese company has 15 percent shares with SLPA, and had remitted US$ 150,000 to the Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation which  had been allegedly used to repair houses for low income families and to give scholarships for underprivileged students during the last presidential election.

The Assistant Bank Manager, People’s Bank Head Office, Finance Manager of the Chinese company and its General Manager, the Trustee of the Pushpa Rajapaksa Foundation N.H. Nandasiri, its Treasurer Mahendra Prabath Ramasinghe and Secretary Chitral Amaratunge had also been questioned by the FCID over the money allegedly obtained for the Foundation from the Chinese company.

“The FCID filed a ‘B’ report – B 586/15 in the Fort Magistrate’s Court and submitted the investigation report to the Attorney General’s Department on June 5 but are yet to receive advice from them,” sources added.

Meanwhile, Grand Hyatt Hotel is also under investigation and a ‘B’ report has been filed (B/25389/1/15) at Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court against the former President’s Chief of Staff. The FCID has also filed a ‘B’ report in the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court (Case No. 24327/2015) over irregularities in Lanka Hospital shares amounting to Rs. 600 million.

According to the complaint, the Board of Directors have allegedly misappropriated Lanka Hospital funds. They have also been accused of taking a hefty commission of Rs. 600 million from the sale proceeds of shares belonging to Harry Jayawardena to an Indian company and allegedly paid only a small percentage to Jayawardena.

Allegations have also been levelled against these Board members for spending lavishly on advertising campaigns although the company could not gain any mileage from these advertising campaigns. They are also accused of paying an exorbitant amount of money to an advertising firm – Triad – for the publicity given to the opening of its laboratory arm – LHD (Lanka Hospitals Diagnostics), recruiting close relatives of the Rajapaksa family for higher salaries, purchasing goods from known parties without calling for tenders and for paying Rs. 15 million to an architect for designing the LHD laboratory.

• More arrests are imminent as new information is revealed about the extent of the elephant racket

by Hafsa Sabry

Dhammaloka Thera, Magistrate Gamage and Sumangala Thera were alleged to have had in their possession baby elephants that had not been registered in the elephant registry at the Department of Wildlife Conservation.

Domesticated Elephants

According to Section 22(A) as amended in 2009 of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO), any person who owns, has in his/her custody or makes use of an elephant which is not registered, and a license obtained in accordance with the provisions of this section, shall be guilty of an offence and shall on conviction be liable to a fine not less than one hundred thousand rupees and not more than two hundred thousand rupees or a term of imprisonment not less than two years and not exceeding five years or both such fines.

Meanwhile, Police Media Spokesman ASP Ruwan Gunasekara told The Sunday Leader that information as to whether it was Dhammaloka Thera who had given the baby elephant to Magistrate Thilina Gamage has not been revealed to the police by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).

ASP Gunasekera said in the event the investigation details are leaked to the media and thus publicised, the investigation process would be hampered.

Dhammaloka Thera is alleged to have had an unregistered baby elephant and an adult she- elephant in his possession which is a punishable offence.

Animal rights activists and organisations had for long complained of this illegal practice but were unable to get the police to arrest the law breakers since most of the offenders were either members of former First Family or their supporters. Soon after the election on January eighth, 2015 that ousted the Rajapaksas, there was an outcry from animal rights organisations asking the new government to arrest those who were in illegal possession of elephants. It was in this backdrop that former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa handed over the two elephant calves in his possession to the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC) claiming that he was unable to look after them.  “This act alone showed how the Rajapaksas were keeping elephants illegally for their own prestige. Since he knew he could be arrested for keeping unregistered elephants he immediately handed them over to the DWC to escape the legal process,” Chairman Species Conservation Centre, Pubudu Weeraratne said.

It was on January 28, 2015 that the Department of Wildlife Conservation raided Alan Methiniyaramaya, Polhengoda where wildlife officials found an elephant calf believed to be around two and a half years old with another female elephant believed to be around twenty years.

Colombo Additional Magistrate, Nishantha Peiris instructed wildlife officials on January 30, 2015 to send the baby elephant to the Udawalawe elephant orphanage. Although it was an open secret that Dhammaloka Thera was keeping a wild elephant at his temple, he told the Willdlife Department and the police that the baby elephant was found abandoned near Alan Methiniyarama temple following a procession and he only looked after the animal.

On December seven, 2015 the CID informed court that the baby elephant was neither registered neither under Dhammaloka Thera nor under the name of the temple which showed that it was an illegally kept elephant. Although the CID sought the Attorney General’s advice to act on the charges levelled against Dhammaloka Thera, the then Attorney General’s Department had failed toprovide any instructions to the CID.

“Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera is close to the former President and the monk even went all over the country promoting Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last presidential election. Since this monk was a Rajapaksa loyalist, the then Attorney General’s Department did not want to see legal action being taken against him. It was only after the new AG was appointed, the CID was ordered to arrest the monk for violating FFPO,” a CID officer said on condition of anonymity.

After the arrest order was given against Dhammaloka Thera, Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate, Thilina Gamage who also allegedly had a baby elephant in his possession, filed a Fundamental Rights application seeking an injunction order against his looming arrest. However the Supreme Court refused leave to proceed with the petition.

Chief Magistrate Gamage was not only accused of keeping an elephant but is also alleged to have submitted forged documents to the DWC to get his elephant registered. When the animal rights activists informed the Attorney General’s Department about the illegal elephant registration by the DWC, it came to light as to how Gamage who is a legal luminary had got the Homagama Divisional Secretary’s and the respective Grama Nialadhari’s signatures forged to show that his elephant calf was born to a domesticated registered female elephant.

It was reported that the baby elephants that were in the possession of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa had been given through a presidential decree (sannasa) to which the Attorney General has made a determination that handing over an elephant to other persons through such a decree is illegal and therefore the process followed to hand over two elephant calves to the former Defence Secretary should be investigated.

It was revealed that the former Defence Secretary had made a request to the Department of Wildlife Conservation on January 16, 2015 to get the two elephant calves registered but the Department had rejected the request as the case is still under investigation. The main suspect in the elephant smuggling racket Ali Roshan was earlier arrested and granted bail. However it was reported at one of the magisterial inquiries in the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that Ali Roshan was the mastermind behind the smuggling racket where smuggled elephant calves were being sold. The prosecutors had further stated that the investigations have revealed that Ali Roshan was directly involved in selling 39 wild elephants and had been in the ‘business’ for the past 15 years.

Meanwhile, Pubudu Weeraratne said he is fully satisfied with the police investigations into the illegal elephant racket and added that the DWC has arranged appropriate space at Eth Athuru Sevana in Udawalawe for the smuggled elephants.

“There are several cases in this elephant racket and ‘fact-reporting’ is being carried out with regards to some of the cases including Gotabaya Rajapaksa and Thilina Gamage. Therefore once the fact-reporting is concluded and when they are reported to court, suspects will be charged if proven guilty,” Weeraratne added.

However Weeraratne said that the government authorities should be vigilant to ensure the baby elephant racket does not raise its ugly head again and that elephants will not be smuggled from the wild in the future.

“Supporters of the previous regime used state power to the maximum to stop the Wildlife Department from acting against them,” Weeraratne alleged.

He further stressed that if there still were wildlife officials who help in illegal registrations they should be removed from their posts.   According to the former Deputy Minister Wildlife Conservation, Wasantha Senanayake, rules and regulations should be strictly implemented against those who abuse the system of registering elephants illegally in the log book and those who are in possession of illegal elephants.

He said he had suggested that DNA and genetic testing be carried out on all registered elephants and that DWC officials should visit them on a regular basis to check the elephants’ health and other facilities provided by the owners.

“If the criterion for keeping animals is not met, the license should be revoked promptly,” Senanayake said.

• President’s relative accused of re-instating official accused of swindling

by Nirmala Kannangara

A gem mining plot

Chairman, National Gem and Jewellery Authority (NGJA) Asanka Welagedara has come under fire for re-instating an employee who had been suspended from service for the alleged misappropriation of NGJA funds running into millions of rupees.

Welagedara is the son-in-law of Mrs. Maithripala Sirisena’s sister and was appointed Chairman by the subject minister President Maithripala Sirisena after the election victory on January 8, 2015. Welagedara is being accused of re-instating the former Regional Manager NGJA, Moneragala M. L. I. M. Ranjith Aruna, who was accused of swindling Gem Authority money from the Tammannawa gem haul in Kataragama in 2012.

Following audits conducted by the internal auditors of NGJA and the Auditor General’s Department in 2013 it was revealed that Ranjith Aruna was directly involved in misappropriation of NGJA funds.

Thilak Iddamalgoda, the then Director General, Presidential Investigation Unit, in a letter to the then Secretary to the President, Lalith Weeratunga, had suggested on January 9, 2014 that Ranjith Aruna’s services should be suspended for misappropriation of funds as the latter had violated government financial regulations.

Ranjith Aruna had allegedly obtained money in a fraudulent manner by submitting forged documents to the NGJA. Meanwhile, in a letter dated January 20, 2014, Saman D. Waduge, Senior Additional Secretary to the then President, had written to the then Secretary, Environment and Renewable Energy Ministry, asking that Ranjith Aruna’s services be suspended with immediate effect pending inquiry.

The Sunday Leader is in possession of all audit reports and the Presidential Investigation Unit reports in relation to the said frauds.

Despite all these accusations, Ranjith Aruna was given a promotion as Deputy Director in 2013 by the then management, raising many eyebrows as to on what basis he was promoted when there were serious allegations levelled against him.

Suspended

However, Deputy Director Ranjith Aruna was suspended from service pending inquiry on May 26, 2014 by the then Director General, NGJA. “During the previous regime an inquiry was conducted by an inquiring officer and the report was submitted to the NGJA after the new government came into power. According to those who have seen the report, of the 12 charges levelled against him, Ranjith Aruna had been found guilty of eight charges,” sources said.

The sources further queried as to why the present Chairman had re-instated the accused and added that this report has not been made available to other senior members at the NGJA and is in the sole custody of the Chairman.

“Chairman Welagedara is now saying that he re-instated Ranjith Aruna as he was not found guilty in the inquiry. When there are audit reports to substantiate that Ranjith Aruna had swindled NGJA funds, Chairman Welagedara is trying to say that Ranjith Aruna is innocent. If the inquiring officer had cleared Ranjith Aruna’s name from all the allegations levelled against him, why cannot the Chairman release the report for the officials’ perusal and why is he keeping it under lock and key,” sources queried. According to NGJA internal circular No: NGJA/ 16-2/ 2008/ ACD of November 18, 2008, the minimum advance that has to be obtained from all bidders at gem land auctions and the entire bidding payments have to be obtained within five working days from the bidding date, failing which the bidder has to pay an additional 0.5% surcharge for the delay. But Ranjith Aruna, who was the Regional Manager, NGJA Moneragala, at the time of the Tammannawa gem land auction, had not followed any of these regulations.
According to the audit reports, of the 49 blocks that were auctioned, Ranjith Aruna as the Regional Manager who overlooked the auction had failed to obtain the minimum advance from 16 plots.

“All 16 are known to Ranjith Aruna which we can prove. In addition he failed to recover the 0.5% surcharge for late payments from certain bidders which is a further loss to the government,” sources claimed.
Further, Ranjith Aruna was accused of obtaining a promissory note from a bidder, which is strictly against Financial Regulation No: 169.

“Although the bidder of plot 21 had to make the full payment by March 2, 2012, submitting a promissory note, the bidder has guaranteed that he would pay the money by March 8. Although he promised to make the payment by cash, he failed to abide by his promise and made the payment by cheque, which too is completely against the Authority rules and regulations. Despite the fact that obtaining a promissory note for a payment is against Financial Regulation No. 169, Ranjith Aruna still accepted a promissory note on the day the final payment had to be made. He was also accused of accepting a third party cheque to the tune of Rs. 2.964 million from the bidder although it was clearly stated in the paper advertisement that cheques would not be accepted.

Although the cheque was obtained 13 days after the auction, the Authority still failed to recover the 0.5% surcharge for late payments, which is questionable. However this cheque was not honoured and bounced on March 13, costing the NGJA a staggering Rs. 2.964 million,” sources said. Meanwhile former Enforcement Officer NGJA, Indunil Muthukumara said that although the full payment has to be made to issue a mining licence, Ranjith Aruna’s approval to allow the bidder to mine for gems on the particular plot by accepting the dated cheque was questionable.
“When the bidder found out that there were no gems in the land, he instructed the bank to stop payments. The former DG and Ranjith Aruna were behind this whole ‘drama’ and we were ready to give evidence at any investigation but our evidence was not heard which is questionable,” Muthukumara said.

According to the audit query, although receipts have to be produced for the money the NGJA has collected from entrance tickets to the gem land and auction hall as per Financial Regulation 168 (1), Ranjith Aruna had not produced any proven documents for government audits.

“It was revealed that the NGJA had not issued entrance tickets although they obtained Rs. 1,000 from each person. According to the audit query, Ranjith Aruna had only shown Rs. 871,000 as collection from entrance tickets but had not submitted any receipts. How could the Auditor General’s Department know as to how many tickets had been sold if there were no supportive documents? Given the facts on how the entire auction was carried out, the entrance ticket fiasco too is dubious,” Muthukumara alleged.
The audit query further questions how the entrance ticket money had been utilised for Tammennawa site work without being deposited in NGJA accounts.

No authority

It further states that on the approval of Director General Nimal Bandara this money had been given to Ranjith Aruna for Thammennawa site work, although the DG had no authority to approve any payments exceeding Rs. 100,000.

According to the audit query, the then Director General together with Ranjith Aruna has paid Rs. 825,400 to a private company to put up a security fence around the gem lands without calling for tenders.
“This was the first time a fence was put up around a gem land in the country. How many lands have we auctioned earlier but have not put up even a barbed wire fence around them? In this instance the DG together with Ranjith Aruna put up a fence out of Amano sheets even though police and army protection was given to the site,” Muthukumara added. The audit query further mentions irregularities in payment vouchers amounting to Rs. 1.26 million to provide infrastructure facilities and food for those who participated in the Tammennawa gem land auction. It further states that they have noted how Rs. 46,900 had been obtained fraudulently by a NGJA official by producing photocopies of payment vouchers settled earlier.

According to the query report, these payments have been made earlier by voucher numbers 5, 36 and 66 to the value of Rs. 8,920, Rs. 21,070 and Rs.16,910 respectively although they have been once again submitted for re-imbursement.
The query report further reveals how the NGJA paid special allowances to the value of Rs. 960,000 for five to 10 officials from February to May. In addition the Authority had spent Rs. 117,900 for transport, food and lodging for the month of May. The audit query further states they have observed six vouchers to the tune of Rs. 1.869 million having been paid although they have not been duly filled on par with Financial Regulations No:225 (1) and 245 (1).

The report further states it had discovered that signatures in bills submitted to the Authority were all fakes. Amongst the bogus bills, a payment has been made to a hotel in Sellakataragama to purchase food for Gem Authority staff who were on duty at the gem land. However the owner of this hotel had told the Presidential Investigation Officers that he had supplied food to Gem Authority officers for 15 days to the value of Rs. 300,000. But Ranjith Aruna has allegedly submitted bills to the value of Rs. 800,000. It further states that on February 24, 2012 Ranjith Aruna had produced bills to the value of Rs.1,100,000 from Gangasiri Hotel in Kataragama to obtain food and soft drinks. He had further produced yet another bill to the value of Rs. 32,000 from the same hotel. However owners of this hotel claim that those were counterfeit bills.

Bogus bill

Meanwhile it has also been revealed during the investigation process how Ranjith Aruna had produced yet another bogus bill to the value of Rs. 347,463. The investigation team has further unearthed details of how Ranjith Aruna had obtained blank bills from Nishadhi Hotel in New Town, Kataragama and produced them to the NGJA to the value of Rs. 38, 610 and Rs. 21,050. The owner of this hotel, during the investigation process, had admitted that a NGJA employee had once obtained blank bills from them.

After assuming duties once again as Deputy Director, Moneragala, Ranjith Aruna is accused of allowing a trader in Passara to backhoe a riverbank for gem mining.

“When this was reported, two enforcement officers had gone to the scene and taken the backhoe to the Buttala police and wanted the NGJA to impose the fine of Rs. 333,000 on the trader. However, as this trader was a friend of Ranjith Aruna, Chairman Welagedara had fined him only Rs.150,000 which is a loss to the Gem Authority. When this trader had given an affidavit that he could pay only Rs. 175,000, what made Chairman Welagedara fine him only Rs.150, 000,” Muthukumara asked.

Chairman NGJA is further accused of not fining a gem miner at Bogawanthalawa recently for mining illegally at an environmental sensitive area along the Bagavana Oya.

“This gem miner is said to be a relative of a NGJA higher official and although he has used backhoes and sucking machines in this environment sensitive area and had caused damage to the environment, the Gem Authority had paid Rs. 750, 000 to rectify the damage caused without fining the gem miner.”

When asked why an employee who was suspended in 2014 was re-instated to the same post, Chairman NGJA, Asanka Welagedara said that Ranjith Aruna was not found guilty of any charges levelled against him and that was why he was re-instated. When told that the government audit report, the NGJA internal audit report and even the Presidential Investigation Unit report clearly shows that Ranjith Aruna has misappropriated public funds, Welagedara said that there are no such reports against Aruna.

“What you have is all ‘kelaa paththara’. If you have any official documents, produce it to me. Ranjith Aruna’s name was cleared at the inquiry. There is nothing wrong in re-instating him to the same post,” Welagedara said.

When contacted, Ranjith Aruna declined to give any comment claiming that he was not allowed to talk to the media.  “I asked the Chairman whether I could give a comment but he wanted me not to,” Aruna said.

• Millions spent on tamasha
• Perks and privileges for those who supported Thilanga
• Punishment for those who didn’t

by Nirmala Kannangara

In a stunning revelation, details of how the cash-strapped Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) spent nearly Rs. 39 million on the tamasha that took place at the Racecourse last week to send off the Sri Lanka Cricket Team for the 20/20 World Cup and to re-brand Sri Lanka Cricket, have come to light.

This staggering amount had allegedly been paid to Shift Advertising and Media Gang Event Management Company without following tender procedure, highly reliable SLC sources told The Sunday Leader on conditions of anonymity.

The tamasha had been finalised, according to the sources, within a couple of days and it is speculated that Media Gang Event Management Company is owned by the daughter of a VVIP in the incumbent government.

“Although the Cricket Board now claims that the best proposal for this event came from Shift Advertising and Media Gang Event Management Company when proposals were called to launch an event to re-brand Sri Lanka Cricket and to send off the Sri Lanka team for the current 20/20 World Cup tournament in India, there were no calls for such proposals. Instead, it had been offered to these two companies without any procurement guidelines being followed,” sources alleged.

According to the sources, Dialog Axiata had offered Rs.18 million while the rest had been spent from SLC funds. It is alleged that of the Rs.39 million, Rs.33 million had been paid to Media Gang Event Management Company and the rest to Shift Advertising.

However, this colossal spending comes in the backdrop of Sports Minister Dayasiri Jayasekera’s claim to this newspaper a few weeks ago that SLC was facing a financial crisis and was unable to make the contract staff permanent.

During the latter part of last year, the cricket interim committee decided to make the long-standing SLC employees permanent in their jobs but once the new administration took office,that idea was scrapped and Minister Jayasekera said it was due to lack of funds.If this was true, how did the SLC afford an expensive tamasha running into millions of rupees?

Meanwhile SLC last week appointed five consultants, all close to SLC President Thilanga Sumathipala, at a monthly take-home salary of Rs.150,000 each in addition to other perks. The new consultants are Anura Weerasinghe from the Western Province Cricket Association, Priyantha Soysa of Pandura Sports Club, Crishantha de Silva of Moratuwa Sports Club, Hemal Mendis of Cambrians and Indrani Ariyaratne of Moratuwa Sports Club.

“Of these five, three were appointed as a mark of gratitude for helping Sumathipala at the January SLC election while the other two are the SLC President’s closest confidants,” sources alleged.

The SLC’s new office-bearers have meanwhile come under fire for their attempt to dissolve the School Cricket Association and hand over the development of school cricket to the district and provincial cricket associations.

“Although Sumathipala promised to allocate more funds to the School Cricket Association, he has now stopped this allocation. He wants to give powers and funds to these district and provincial associations because they voted for him at the election. Thilanga doesn’t have a strategic plan to develop school cricket but is just rewarding those who voted for him. Since it is said the School Cricket Association did not help Sumathipala at his election campaign, the Cricket Board President is taking revenge from our up and coming young cricketers,” sources claimed.

It has also been revealed how Sumathipala refused the School Cricket Association money for their annual tour to Malaysia and instead released funds from the National Development Committee (NDC) for the Minor District Team to tour Malaysia. “Since the Minor District Team office-bearers helped out Sumathipala at the election, funds were released for them to take a team to Malaysia while depriving the school cricket team their annual tour,” sources claimed.

Meanwhile, SLC’s decision not to send selectors with the team on foreign tours is hailed by the Cricket Board staff but questions are being asked whether this practice would be maintained in the future as it is alleged that this decision was taken to prevent the members of the former selection committee from travelling overseas with the team.

“If Sumathipala maintains the stance of not sending selectors with the team it is a good move as selectors are not allowed to be with the players in the dressing room as it can lead to match fixing. Although earlier a few selectors visited with the team, Sumathipala put a stop to this practice after he assumed duties in January. But with the new selectors being appointed, the SLC administration is now considering sending two selectors to India where the T20 matches are being played. There is no necessity for the selectors to go as it is the coaches that advice the players on match related affairs,” sources said.

Meanwhile allegations have been levelled against Chief Executive Officer (CEO) SLC, Ashley de Silva for not renewing the contracts of Anura Ratnayake, former Assistant Manager SLC, Romesh Kaluwitharana, former Coach of the ‘A’ team, Upul Chandana, former Field Coach of the under 19 team and seven other coaches simply because of their affiliation with the Ranatungas.

“Because  Anura Ratnayake is a good friend of Nishantha Ranatunga and Romesh and Upul Chandana have played under Arjuna Ranatunga and still maintain a good relationship, their contracts were not renewed. Since the former Head of Cricket Operations, Carlton Bernadus was a threat to the CEO as he (Bernadus) was emerging as a good administrator, Ashly de Silva removed Bernadus from his post and made him the Head of Domestic Cricket. Taking revenge from officials for petty politics would have a negative impact on cricket which is visible now,” sources said.

The sources further accused Sumathipala of fixing floodlight towers lower than the standard height at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium during his tenure as the SLC President on an earlier occasion.

“Even though millions of rupees was spent, after foreign players complained of the glare, day night games were not played; if we want to start playing day night games once again in Dambulla, SLC will have to spend several millions again to erect floodlight towers of the correct height,” sources added.

Refuting allegations, Secretary SLC, Mohan de Silva said that under the new administration there is no room for any fraud or malpractice and added that there had been a great deal of wastage and abuse of funds before the new administration took office.

“Although there are allegations that we spent Rs.40 million to send off the Sri Lanka team for the 20/20 World Cup, we spent only Rs.19 million. There was a proposal which came from Shift Advertising and Media Gang for the re-branding programme which was suitable for our plan. They estimated Rs. 40 million but since it was a large amount, we brought it down to Rs.19 million and SLC paid Rs.3-4 million and Rs.15 million was paid by our chief sponsor-Dialog,” De Silva said.

When asked whether quotations were called to award the tender and whether this contract was given to the said party as the event management company is owned by President Maithripala Sirisena’s daughter, De Silva said that it was handled by the marketing division and was transparent.

“We were not influenced by any one and don’t know who the owners of this event management company are,” De Silva added.

Speaking on other allegations levelled against SLC, De Silva said the new management does not believe in witch hunts and claimed that it was those with vested interests that accused the new management, “because they know that we are taking Sri Lanka Cricket in the right direction unlike previously.”

In regard to the decision taken not to send selectors with the team, De Silva said that in the past, selectors never accompanied the players on foreign tours.

“When there is technology where we can communicate with the players and even discuss issues pertaining to the tournament, why spend money on sending selectors?However, we will send selectors for certain ICC events as they can contribute their expertise knowledge to the players. Whether or not selectors will be sent with the team will be decided tour by tour,” the SLC Secretary said.

According to De Silva there is a strategic plan to develop the district and provincial cricket associations and SLC is planning to give them more authority by strengthening their administrations and thereby developing the game at grassroots level. However he denied having pruned School Cricket Association budget.

“This year we have allocated Rs.35.36 million to the School Cricket Association and it was the same amount they received last year as well,” De Silva said.When asked why SLC made five consultant appointments at high salaries when SLC is facing a huge financial crisis and whether all these appointments and discontinuing of contracts are done based on how they helped Sumathipala at the cricket election, the Secretary said the new appointments were made to re-structure the SLC.

“We have never favoured any individual or party that supported us at the election. Appointments were made based on their ability and contracts of those who have not performed up to standard were discontinued.”Speaking on light towers at Dambulla, De Silva said that the towers are of the proper height and if there were issues, the ICC and the match referees would have made complaints.

When asked why the SLC Treasurer was sent to England last month instead of the CEO or the Secretary, to check the venues and the security arrangements for the Sri Lankan tour to England, De Silva said that Treasurer Shammi Silva is the most suitable person to undertake that duty.

“Although he is the Treasurer he has vast experience in cricket and he was the most suitable person the SLC could have sent,” he added.When asked whether he was implying that Shammi Silva was the best out of all those that were elected and if so why they could not nominate himfor the post of Secretary, De Silva said that Silva was able to negotiate player exchange programmes and to send some of the emerging young cricketers to play for counties.

“Silva had not only looked into security arrangements but also about the venues,” he said.

Speaking on discontinuing the contracts of certain officials, De Silva said it was done after they completed their contract periods. “We are planning to get a coach in the calibre of Dav Whatmore for the A team,” he added.

Head of SLC, Sumathipala was not available for comment.

• Despite being over-staffed by 100 percent, new recruitments are being made, choking the life out of the CPC and CPSTL as excess staff salaries alone run into 1000 million

by Nirmala Kannangara

Chandima Weerakkody and Ananda Palitha

The never-ending line of political recruitments to the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC) and Ceylon Petroleum Storage Terminal Limited (CPSTL) have contributed to the inability to bring down fuel prices, JVP affiliated Petroleum Common Services Union (PCSU) alleged.

According to PCSU President, Western Provincial Counsellor Asoka Ranwala, the CPSTL management last week made 179 new recruitments which is expected to cost the institution an additional Rs.123 million monthly if their take-home salary including over-time is estimated at Rs.80, 000.

According to Ranwala there are no specific work duties for the new employees nor space for a seat.

“The present world crude oil prices are now on par with the 1977 prices, but the Petroleum Corporation has failed to bring down oil prices because of its wastage. At the time the previous regime was toppled, CPC and CPSTL had 100% excess cadre which was a burden to the corporation. Even a labourer at CPC or CPSTL draws more than one hundred thousand rupees per month including overtime. At the time the new government came into power, more than Rs.800 million had to be paid as salaries for just the excess staff. Despite this burden, the present Petroleum Resources Minister Chandima Weerakkody last week recruited 179 people from down south for various posts,” Ranwala said.

Ranwala said that the present management cannot boast about cutting down excess staff by 480 after they took over office. According to him the corporation has to allocate nearly Rs.1000 million monthly just for salaries of the excess staff.

“True, they reduced the staff by 480 but after a few months they recruited another 179. So what is the purpose of this? There is yet another plan to recruit more to the CPC in the months to come and that was why 480 were removed last year,” Ranwala added.

Meanwhile a highly reliable CPSTL official said on condition of anonymity that half of the new appointees do not have even GCE O/L qualifications. “Each of these new recruits will get a take-home salary of Rs. 100, 000. When there are so many unemployed graduates in the country what made the Petroleum Minister give employment to unqualified people?” sources questioned.

According to the sources, although these 179 got their appointments on March 7, it is alleged that the Minister had made a request to the management that the April bonus be paid to them.

“Petroleum staff are given bonuses in April and December. When we were recruited bonuses were paid after we were confirmed in our posts but now without considering company regulations, these new recruits are to be paid the bonus next month,” sources claimed.

The sources further stated that recruitment to the security staff too had become a burden to the institution as it was the easiest way to give employment to those who had not even studied up to grade eight.

“The staff and security guards ratio is 7:1 even though we have army security at all the major stations. When the LTTE attacked the Kolonnawa oil tanks, the soldiers remained there and provided security but other than a few corporation security guards, all others had run for their lives and were found taking shelter at Weliweriya. Do we really need such security when we have the army deployment at all major places?” sources queried. According to the sources, the staff requirement for the Kandy depot is 12 although there are 74 employed there. “It is the same with the Kurunegala depot as well. When Minister Anuruddha Ratwatte was in charge of the Petroleum Ministry the situation became really bad as he recruited so many people from Kandy. It was the same when Anura Priyadharshana Yapa was the Minister. He too followed in the same footsteps and gave many appointments to youth from Kurunegala. Now the present Minister too is trying to follow his predecessors’ paths. They don’t want to serve the people of the country but work for personal gains,” sources said.

Meanwhile, Secretary UNP affiliated Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya (Petroleum Branch) Ananda Palitha said that when the corporation’s requirement is to cut down staff and give relief to the people, by recruiting more and more when the excess staff is 100% more than the required cadre, the people will never be able to get the benefit of the declining prices of crude oil in the world market.

He further accused the government of not taking any action against those who were involved in fraud and corruption during the previous regime.

“Most of those who hold high posts at CPSTL are crooks and have faced allegations of fraud and corruption. Some of them were directly involved in purchasing sub-standard oil. Although the UNP prior to the presidential election wanted a mandate to clean up all state institutions and bring efficient and reliable officials, none of their promises were fulfilled. All those who were involved in corruption have been allowed to stay in the same posts and they may have removed all the documents that prove such corruption in a bid to erase evidence,” Palitha alleged.

Ananda Palitha also blamed the CPSTL management for their failure to lay a new pipeline from the port to the Kolonnawa oil storage facility and the pipeline from Muthurajawela.

“In November more than 1000 litres of petrol went down the drain as there were severe ruptures along the pipeline and we had to compensate some parties. When the UNP was in the opposition they shouted against the Rajapaksa regime for not carrying out urgent repairs to these age-old pipelines but what have they done over the past fourteen months after coming into power?” Palitha queried.

However, refuting such allegations, Chairman CPSTL, Shehan Seneviratne said that the present Minister had not given a single appointment from his constituency and added that the recruitments were made on par with the cadre requirements.

“When we took over the administration there were 3,600 employees at CPSTL and we were able to bring it down to 3120. When there was a necessity we recruited 179 last week based on their talents and qualifications,” Seneviratne said.

Meanwhile Petroleum Resources Minister Chandima Weerakkody said the reason he cannot bring down fuel prices is due to the debts the CPC owes to banks.

“We have a debt of Rs.360 billion and we pay interest to the value of Rs.1.2 billion monthly. In addition Sri Lanka Railways, Sri Lanka Transport Board, Mihin Lanka, Sri Lankan Airlines, the tri forces and Ceylon Electricity Board owe us millions. Due to these reasons we cannot bring down fuel prices although the world crude oil prices have come down,” the Minister said.

He further explained how the previous regime had given fuel at a lower cost compared to the world oil prices.

“The government subsidised and that was a loss to the government. If we reduce fuel prices now it won’t benefit the people who do not have vehicles. The public transport costs too would not come down. That was what happened when this government reduced the fuel prices last year. The transport sector and businessmen got the benefit but it did not pass on to the general public who depend on public transport,” Minister Weerakkody added.

by Nirmala Kannangara

The Ministry of Health is yet to take disciplinary action against Provincial Director Health Services, Central Province, for allegedly misleading the Public Service Commission (PSC) for personal gain despite the latter’s continuous requests to the Health Ministry to conduct an inquiry.

Provincial Director Health Services, Central Province, Dr. K. M. Shanthilatha Fathima Samarasinghe is alleged to have misled the PSC deliberately on two occasions. In 2005 Dr. Samarasinghe submitted false information in order to receive a promotion and in 2007 she did the same to avoid a transfer from her present post.

In April 2005, whilst serving as the Acting Provincial Director Health Services, Central Province, Dr. Samarasinghe had submitted counterfeit qualifications to the PSC to obtain marks at the interview for the post of Medical Superintendent of the Base Hospital in Matale. She obtained two extra marks at the interview depriving the eligible candidate Dr. Mrs. M. D. L. Perera. Dr. Samarasinghe was appointed Medical Superintendent, Base Hospital Matale on June one, 2005. However when it was later discovered that Dr. Samarasinghe had submitted inaccurate details, the Additional Secretary PSC through a letter dated November ten, 2005 instructed the then Secretary, Ministry of Health to hold an inquiry and to reprimand Dr. Samarasinghe for misleading the PSC. The PSC also instructed the Health Secretary to submit to the Commission a copy of the warning letter issued to Dr. Samarasinghe.

Since it was the Health Secretary who had recommended Dr. Samarasinghe for the promotion, whether knowingly or not that false qualifications had been submitted, Additional Secretary PSC, D. H. S. Pulleperuma instructed the Health Secretary to redress the matter and ensure that justice was done to the candidate deprived of the promotion. Although such instructions were issued to the then Health Secretary, he had allegedly failed to issue a warning to Dr. Samarasinghe.

It is in this backdrop that Dr. Samarasinghe once again misled the PSC in 2012 to get an extension in her present post – Provincial Director Health Services, Central Province. On December one, 2007 the then Governor Central Province, Tikiri Kobbekaduwa appointed Dr. Samarasinghe as the Provincial Director, Health Services, Central Province, with immediate effect requesting the latter to report to him after taking over the post through the Provincial Health Secretary of the Central Province and the Chief Secretary.

In a letter dated December five, 2007 Dr. Samarasinghe (Ref. No: CPC/ PDHS/ ICC/ 20/ 124/2007) informed the Provincial Health Secretary that she had assumed duties in the new post. Meanwhile Provincial Health Secretary Vijitha Bandara Ekanayake wrote to the Chief Secretary on December ten, 2007 to confirm that Dr. Samarasinghe had assumed duties in her post on December five, 2007.

Despite all this, when Health Secretary Dr. Ravindra Ruberu sent a letter to Dr. Samarasinghe releasing her from the duties of the post of Director Health Services, Central Province, to take up duties as Director Health Services, North Central Province from June 2, 2012, Dr. Samarasinghe had once again misled the PSC stating that she had one more year to serve in the Central Province as her appointment was made on December 31, 2007.

Five years

“Generally an officer is allowed to serve in one place for five years before being transferred to another place of work. It was on December one, 2007 that Dr. Samarasinghe was appointed as Director Health Services, Central Province which she had confirmed in her letter to the Provincial Health Secretary. Despite all these official letters, with no fear of repercussions, Dr. Samarasinghe wrote to the PSC that Governor Central Province appointed her to the post on December 31, 2007 and that she assumed duties on January 1, 2008,” an official at the Provincial Health Ministry said on condition of anonymity.

The source further alleged that Governor Tikiri Kobbekaduwa too was involved in this fraud and that Kobbekaduwa had issued yet another official letter on one of his official letterheads appointing Dr. Samarasinghe to the post of Director Health Services, Central Province, on December 31, 2007.

“Despite issuing an appointment letter on December 1, 2007, Governor Kobbekaduwa once again issued another letter appointing Dr. Samarasinghe to the same post for the second time on December 31. When this letter was submitted to the PSC for the purpose of an extension for another year, the PSC wrote back stating that her appointment had been made on December 1, 2007 and that the Commission calculates her five year service from 2007 which ends at the end of 2011,” sources claimed.

The PSC once again wrote to the Health Secretary in November 2012 instructing them to hold an inquiry against Dr. Samarasinghe for violating clause 241 of the Public Service Commission as she had sent an appeal to the Commission Secretary requesting to withhold her transfer. The letter further states, “The PSC has decided to instruct you to hold an inquiry against Dr. Samarasinghe for violating clause 241 of the PSC Act by writing directly to the Commission. Please send the inquiry report to this Commission for perusal within one month.”

Clause 241 of the PSC states, ‘Except otherwise, provided for in these procedural rules the public officers shall correspond with the Commission only through the Head of Institution, Head of Department and the Secretary to the Ministry.’

Later Dr. Samarasinghe filed a Fundamental Rights Application in the Supreme Court seeking a stay order challenging her transfer, claiming that the Governor is her appointing authority.

“How could Dr. Samarasinghe tell the courts that the Governor is her appointing authority when former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga in an extraordinary gazette notification No: 1110/10 of December 15, 1999 stated, ‘By virture of the powers vested in me by Article 154T of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, I, Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, President, do by this Order declare the Government Medical Service consisting of Specialists, Non-specialists and Medical Administrators to be an All Island Service.’ When there is a gazette notification that the medical service is an all-island service, how could Dr. Samarasinghe claim that her appointing authority is the Governor and not the line ministry? As a result of Dr. Samarasinghe’s stance that the Health Ministry cannot transfer her as she has been appointed and comes under the Central Provincial Council, the Government Medical Officer’s Association (GMOA) sent a memorandum on 2012 to all its members asking that they refrain from having any official engagements with her.

The statement read, “According to annual transfer order of Medical Administrators 2012, Dr Shanthi Samarasinghe who had been serving in the post of the Provincial Director of Health Services of Central Province has been transferred to North Central Province as the Provincial Director of the Health Services there. Challenging this transfer order she has filed a fundamental rights case in the Supreme Court and an interim order had been granted staying her transfer order.

“In the Supreme Court she has alleged that the Governor is her appointing authority. This will cause a negative impact on Doctors all island service which has been achieved after a heavy struggle in the past. Despite attempts made by branch unions, executive committee and administrative sub-committee of GMOA to emphasise the gravity of this issue she has decided not to change her position. Therefore the GMOA made a decision to intervene in this court case as an interested party in order to safeguard our All Island Service and it is estimated that the expenditure for this process will exceed two million rupees which will be spent from the subscription of membership. We are compelled to bear this burden in order to maintain this as an all island service which is in the vital interests of all our members.

Accused of misappropriation

“We also call on all our members of GMOA to refrain from any official engagement with Dr. Shanthi Samarasinghe until this issue is resolved”.

Be that as it may, Dr. Samarasinghe is further accused of misappropriation of state funds running into millions of rupees but so far no action has been taken against her.

According to a government audit query dated June seven, 2013, Rs. 6.053 million had been spent on painting medical equipment (Iron beds, trolleys etc) for the period of 2011 and 2012 when the engineering estimate was Rs. 1.407 million. “The contract had been given to three garages that repair Health Ministry vehicles and without considering whether the entire item needed to be painted or only a part, all items were painted,” the source claimed.

Dr. Samarasinghe is also accused of spending Rs. 2.015 million to purchase a 78 length measuring board at a cost of Rs. 25,837 per item from Ontarc Pvt Ltd where the guarantee period was one year although Serendib Medicals had sent their quotations for Rs. 4,745 per item with a two year guarantee period. Also the government auditors have found out that surgical items worth Rs.1.549 million had been purchased and supplied to District Hospital, Walapane in 2011 but had not been used at the time the audits were carried out in May 2013.

“Even when there weren’t any requests for medical equipment, the Director Health Services, Central Province, had supplied such items. This is a waste of money,” sources added.

Refuting allegations, Dr. Samarasinghe said that she did not mislead the PSC and had not interfered with the Commission’s work. In regard to misleading the PSC to obtain a promotion, Dr. Samarasinghe said that it was the failed candidate that misled the Commission and after an inquiry her name had been cleared. However Dr. Samarasinghe refused to comment on the matter of misleading the PSC about the date of her appointment to the post of Director Health Services, Central Province, as the matter is before court.

“Since there was an injustice, I filed a Fundamental Rights Application in the Supreme Court seeking a stay order against my transfer. I got the stay order in 2012 and the case is still pending. Hence I do not want to make any comment in regard to that issue,” she said. However, Dr. Samarsinghe accused Pradeep Dharmasuriya of the Provincial Health Ministry, Central Province, of making baseless allegations against her.

With regard to the allegations levelled against her department for the misappropriation of state funds, Dr. Samarasinghe said that she has send acceptable answers to all the government audit queries.

“I am in receipt of letters from the auditors that they have accepted my answers to the allegations levelled. I am a person who has not done private practice throughout my career nor taken overtime or travelling allowances. My hands are clean. Since I am a straightforward person and do not allow frauds to take place, allegations are levelled at me to send me off from this posting,” Dr. Samarasinghe said.

Although Dr. Samarasinghe claimed that the government auditors have informed her that they have accepted her answers to the audit queries, inside sources at the Auditor General’s Department, Battaramulla confirmed to The Sunday Leader that although Dr. Samarasinghe had answered the audit queries, none of the answers were acceptable.

“She has not given proper answers to the questions we have raised. Hence we will be be instructing the relevant officers to take the matter further,” sources said.

The sources further said that the Auditor General’s Department does not write back to the parties concerned informing them of whether their answers have been accepted or not. “If accepted, we will not proceed with the cases and if not, we proceed with the matter,” sources claimed.

Meanwhile Secretary GMOA, Dr. Nalinda Herath said that as a trade union, irrespective of the medical officer’s status, stern action would be taken against Dr. Samarasinghe for going to courts and not accepting the ‘Doctors All Island Service.’

“After a hard battle the GMOA was able to get the government medical service as an all island service. By going to courts to say that her appointing authority is the Governor, Dr. Samarasinghe shows that the medical service is not an all island service which is harmful to our members,” Dr. Herath said.

Attempts to get a comment from Dr. Palitha Maheepala, Director General, Ministry of Health, was not successful.

• Lasantha Murder:

by Nirmala Kannangara

Lasantha Wickrematunge and Sarath Fonseka and Gotabhaya Rajapaksa

Former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa insists that a proper investigation should be carried out into the murder of Founding Editor of The Sunday Leader Newspaper Lasantha Wickrematunge, but has hinted the government will never hold a transparent investigation, as a minister in the present government is connected to the incident.

Rajapaksa made these remarks following Minister Sarath Fonseka’s maiden speech in parliament where he said that an international probe should be conducted as stipulated in the Geneva resolution into the Editor’s murder and that an investigation must be carried out on the white flag issue as well.

Although Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and Minister Sarath Fonseka have accused each other of involvement in Wickrematunge’s murder over the years, the CID is yet to question them over the incident.

In October last year, the CID sought public assistance to obtain vital information about Wickrematunge’s killers and from eyewitnesses if any. According to the CID, they had received considerable information which they said would be helpful for a breakthrough. As the CID sought more information, in February this year, Police Headquarters released a draft sketch of two of the murder suspects. The sketches were drawn based on the statements given by witnesses. The suspects are believed to be around 35 years to 40 years old. The suspect in the first sketch according to the police communique is fair in complexion and around 5 feet 8 inches in height, whilst the suspect in sketch number two is heavy, dark in complexion and around 5 feet 10 inches in height. Although the CID claimed they had received useful information, questions have been raised as to why they are yet to make a breakthrough in the murder case.  Minister Sarath Fonseka in his maiden speech in parliament two weeks ago said he was certain the police and CID had the ability to conduct a proper and impartial investigation and bring those responsible for the crime to book. Following Fonseka’s speech in parliament, former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa challenged the government to investigate the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunge claiming that the truth would be revealed if the investigation is properly carried out.

Meanwhile it is learnt that the CID is now considering obtaining details of telephone calls the Joint Operations Command (JOC) Headquarters received a few hours before Wickrematunge’s assassination. According to information received, the JOC had given all these call details to the police investigation teams soon after Wickrematunge’s murder but they were not made use of.

Wickrematunge was brutally assassinated in broad daylight in the Attidiya high security zone in close proximity to the Ratmalana Air Force base by a killer squad of eight riding four motorcycles. He was on his way to work on that fateful January 8, 2009. Several journalists were murdered, assaulted and some disappeared during the previous regime but not a single investigation was conducted although promises were made that those responsible for these crimes would be brought before the law.

Since the defeat of the Rajapaksa regime, the CID initiated an investigation into the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda and military intelligence officers allegedly involved were arrested. The year 2009 started off with state oppression of the media at its worst. Two days before Wickrematunge was assassinated, an arson attack was carried out on MTV/MBC network in Depanama, Pannipitiya. Following these two incidents, Rivira Editor Upali Tennakoon and his wife were assaulted causing injury. In 2007 Deputy Editor and Defence Columnist of The Nation newspaper Keith Noyahr was abducted and assaulted allegedly for reporting on the conduct of the war. Many other journalists also came under physical attack during the Rajapaksa regime.

Wickrematunge, a vocal critic of the then government, was subjected to harassment and intimidation on several occasions. The newspaper was sealed during the time of President Chandrika Kumaratunga followed by attacks on the press.

It was no secret that The SundayLeader under Wickrematunge was the biggest thorn in the flesh for the Rajapaksa regime plagued with nepotism, corruption and fraud.

Although investigations are now going on, the CID is yet to question the then Defence Spokesman MP, Keheliya Rambukwella who three weeks after the Sunday Leader Editor’s death, said at a media briefing that he and President Mahinda Rajapaksa were aware of the identity of the murderers and that Rajapaksa would make the facts known on February 15, 2009. Neither Rajapaksa nor Rambukwella revealed the names of the killers as promised.

After the fall of the Rajapaksa regime on January 9, 2015, former Minister Mervyn Silva lodged a complaint against Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa and former Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa who he alleged were responsible for the killing of Wickrematunge. When contacted, Silva said he is yet to be summoned to the CID to obtain more information on the suspected murder. “I have the highest respect for the CID and they will do a proper investigation into Wickrematunge’s killing based on my complaint. When Lasantha was physically attacked some time ago, it was Dr. Rajitha Senaratne and I that first visited him at his house.

I was there when Gotabhaya Rajapaksa told a few others that Lasantha was a headache and that they could not govern the country with him as he got all the inside stories and exposed them bringing disrepute to his brother’s government. Not only this, Gotabhaya was also behind the ‘white vans’ which abducted and harassed many journalists who they regarded as a headache to them,” Silva said.

After Wickrematunge’s murder investigation was initiated last year, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) of the CID, B. S. Tissera received a threatening call on Wednesday October 21, 2015 around 7.42am while on his way to the Attorney General’s Department.  Meanwhile, in October last year Mt. Lavinia Magistrate ordered the Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) of the Colombo South Teaching Hospital, Kalubowila Dr. Sarath Kumara to produce Wickrematunge’s post mortem report to the courts since the JMO had failed to produce the JMO report to courts since Wickrematunge’s death in January 2009.

“If there wasn’t any interference, the JMO could have submitted his report to courts after the cause of death was substantiated. What prevented the JMO from producing the report to courts for more than six years? It was the same with rugby player Wasim Thajudeen’s murder as well.

It was only after the fall of the Rajapaksa regime that the Thajudeen case was re-opened. Although Thajudeen died in May 2012, the then JMO Prof. Ananada Samarasekera did not submit his report to courts until the Colombo Additional Magistrate Nishantha Peiris instructed Prof. Samarasekera to submit his report last year. If there is a political backing, the JMOs come under pressure and do not submit the reports for investigations. That was why the Colombo South Hospital also failed to produce Wickrematunge’s report until the Mt. Lavinia Magistrate instructed the JMO to submit the report,” CID sources said.  In connection with Wickrematunge’s assassination, two suspects were taken into custody in 2010. Of the two, Pitchai Jesudasan died while in custody, and the second suspect Kandegedara Priyawansa was released due to ‘insufficient evidence.’

Priyawansa, a former military intelligence personnel, was released on bail in 2010 after he claimed in open court that he needed to make a dock statement on the Wickrematunge assassination. He was then taken to the Magistrate’s chamber where he had made a statement. He was released on bail soon after. Although lawyers appearing for Wickrematunge’s interests made several attempts to get a copy of Priyawansa’s statement it was denied. The CID had said the statement had to be sent to the IGP for further investigation.

The case was then handed over to the Terrorism Investigations Department (TID). Repeated requests by the lawyers for a copy of Priyawansa’s statement were denied by the TID claiming it would hamper the progress of the investigation.

The Sunday Leader reliably learns that Priyawansa is back in the Army Intelligence Unit and all attempts made by the CID to question Priyawansa to obtain more details have been prevented by the  Army.

“Just as the Army is preventing certain information from being released in the Eknaligoda murder case, they may not want to expose Priyawansa as well who was also a military intelligence unit member. It has now been alleged that military intelligence unit members were involved in the Eknaligoda disappearance,” sources alleged.

• Missing Documents, Deviation From Navy Selection Criteria, Government Funded ‘Scholarships’

by Nirmala Kannangara

Yoshitha Rajapaksa

Following questions raised about Navy Lieutenant Yoshitha Kanishka Rajapaksa’s qualifications to enter the Sri Lanka Navy, it has now been revealed that Rajapaksa’s Ordinary Level and Advanced Level education certificates have gone missing from his personal file.

The questionable procedures adopted in recruiting Yoshitha Rajapaksa (NRX 2431) and selecting him for foreign training shows it is a clear deviation from the generally accepted Navy criteria. According to higher Naval officials, a proper judicial process has to be carried out to ascertain whether there had been any violation of fundamental rights of other officers who were deprived of foreign training because of Rajapaksa and the procedure adopted by the Navy.

Meanwhile, Admiral Wasantha Karannagoda, Navy Commander during the time Yoshitha Rajapaksa was enlisted, has come under fire for calling for applications for the post of Officer Cadets for the 45^th intake from GCE A/L in Science, Arts and Commerce streams which is alleged to be a clear deviation from the general practice in Navy history.

“Officer Cadets for the executive branch are generally enlisted to the Navy from GCE A/L Science or Mathematics streams and relevant GCE O/L qualifications. So then, how did Admiral Karannagoda follow a completely different qualification criterion in 2006?” highly reliable Navy sources said on condition of anonymity.

According to the sources, the Navy is now silent on the subject of enlisting unqualified candidates to the Sri Lanka Navy as, for each enlistment, it is the Commander of the Navy that approves the qualification criteria to call applications.

“Since the Navy called applications for Cadet Entry Officer enlistment in the general stream for the 45^th intake even from arts and commerce streams in the GCE A/L, it was not a disqualification for Yoshitha to join the Navy. It is the then Navy Commander who is accountable for this mess and should explain why he made such a move or whether he did this on a directive of the then President, Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa.”

“This was an injustice to those who wanted to join the Sri Lanka Navy but did not have the pre-requisite educational qualifications (prior to the 45^th intake) but after Yoshitha Rajapaksa was recruited through a different qualification criteria which the Navy had never done before, in some subsequent intakes, different qualification criteria were adopted which is unfair by those who were deprived of joining the Navy before,” sources alleged.

As directed by the Secretary, Defence Ministry, a three member committee comprising Rear Admiral D. M. B. Wettewa, Commodore U. S. R. Perera and Commodore (S) M. M.V. B. Meddegoda was appointed to hold a preliminary inquiry into Yoshitha’s entry qualifications. This was held at Naval Headquarters from January 28 to February 23, 2015.

Applications were called for Cadet Entry Officer’s enlistment for the 45^th intake in October 2006 from GCE A/L Science, Arts and Commerce streams with two passes and six credit passes in GCE O/L including Mathematics, Science, English and Sinhala/Tamil in one sitting.

However, Rajapaksa had not obtained a credit pass for Sinhala in the same sitting where he had obtained credit passes for the other mandatory subjects at the GCE O/L in 2003. Nevertheless, as per a copy of the application submitted to the Navy by Rajapaksa which is in his personal file, Rajapaksa is supposed to have obtained a ‘B’ pass for Sinhala in 2004.

“When the three member committee conducted inquiries into Rajapaksa’s entry qualifications, the overseas courses followed by him and his involvement in political activities whilst serving as a Naval Officer, no material evidence was found to substantiate whether the Navy took a decision to accept the GCE O/L examination results obtained in subsequent years to enlist him to the Sri Lanka Navy considering this as a special case. Hence the committee could not come to any conclusive decision about Rajapaksa’s recruitment,” sources said.

However, according to the sources, it is a widespread belief that the Navy considered Rajapaksa as a special case as his educational qualifications had been accepted as sufficient to be enlisted to the Navy. It is learnt that the three member committee had assumed that influence had been used to enlist Rajapaksa as he was the then President’s son and also to create a positive image of the Services amongst the general public to give momentum to the recruitment drive for the armed forces at the time.

According to the sources, a member from the Defence Ministry sits on the final selection of enlisting officers to the Navy and such was the case in Cadet Rajapaksa’s recruitment as well.

“Since important documents have gone missing from Rajapaksa’s personal file, it is unknown whether his educational qualifications were discussed at the final interview and it is learnt that the commission could not establish it,” sources said.

Exclusively secured

Furthermore, it has come to light that the 2007 Royal Young Naval Officers Course at the British Royal Naval College Dartmouth in UK had been secured exclusively for Cadet Rajapaksa on payment.

“Rajapaksa joined the Navy on December 14, 2007 and in less than a month, on January 2, 2007, he was sent to the UK for exclusive cadet training costing taxpayers millions of rupees. Yoshitha was never sent on a scholarship offered by the UK; this vacancy was secured on payment by the Sri Lankan Government and not even by the Sri Lanka Navy. Rajapaksa passed out from the British Royal Naval College on December 7, 2007.

If there is a necessity to send one of their officers for foreign training, it is the Navy that spends, but in this instance, it was the government that footed Yoshitha Rajapaksa’s training bill. The inquiring committee had failed to come to a conclusion as to why this training was given exclusively to Rajapaksa and why such training was given on payment,” sources claimed.

Following this, Rajapaksa was attached to the Royal Navy for two other courses in sea training from January 7, 2008 to May 15, 2008 which too had been secured on payment. “The Rajapaksas were not bothered about the course fees but went on securingg one training course after the other for junior Rajapaksa at the expense of taxpayers’ hard-earned money.

After the five month sea training course with the Royal Navy, Yoshitha next followed the International Sub (Executive) Course at the Maritime Warfare School, HMS Collingwood, Hampshire from May 15, 2008 to October 10, 2008.

This training course too had been secured on payment and it has come to light that Yoshitha Rajapaksa had been sent to follow these courses without a course selection process conducted amongst his peers,” sources alleged.

It is learnt that although Yoshitha Rajapaksa is said to have followed the sea training course at the Royal Navy from January 7, 2008 to May 15, 2008 on payment, there is no certificate in his personal file to show that he had really followed this course. Even at the three member committee inquiry, when Yoshitha Rajapaksa was asked whether he had the original certificate of sea training in UK, Rajapaksa informed the panel that he did not possess the certificate as the Academy Administration at the Royal Navy had promised to e-mail the certificate to the Navy Headquarters and that the original would be posted.

“If he followed this course in 2008, what stopped him from finding out whether the original certificates had been sent to the Navy Headquarters? If he obtained copies of the other certificates from UK, why didn’t he get a certificate for sea training? This has to be probed,” sources claimed.

The sources further queried why the Defence Ministry won’t conduct an investigation as to why Yoshitha Rajapaksa was given a daily foreign allowance, travel allowance and telephone bills paid by the then Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

“On the directives of Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, Yoshitha was paid the daily foreign allowance, travel allowance and his telephone bills were paid in addition to the training fee. Will the same extra payments be made to other officials who go on foreign training? This is highly irregular and those who have misused state funds for their personal gains have to be brought before the law,” sources added.

Upon his return from UK, Rajapaksa faced the Midshipman Examination from January 26 to January 30, 2009 on board ‘Sayura’ to earn eligibility to pass out as an acting Sub Lieutenant. At the passing out of the 45^th intake which was held on March 7, 2009, Rajapaksa was awarded the ‘Sword of Honour’ for becoming the best Midshipman of his batch although there are no records available with the Navy to substantiate how this decision was arrived at. Following Rajapaksa passing out as Sub Lieutenant, the then Sri Lankan Ambassador to the Russian Federation, Udayanga Weeratunge, who is the first cousin of Mahinda Rajapaksa, made a request to the Navy to nominate Rajapaksa for the Masters Diploma at the National University of Defence Academy in Ukraine.

Hence Sub Lieutenant Rajapaksa was nominated to follow the Navy Units Combat Employment and Actions Management Course from October 29, 2009 to August 31, 2010. This nomination had been made without selections being carried out amongst his peers or officers senior to him, according to the sources.

Also, according to sources, although junior Rajapaksa is said to have been assigned to the Presidential Security Unit (PSD), the Navy does not have any letters of appointment or authorisation of such appointment. Although Rajapaksa was said to have been appointed as the aide-de-camp (Personal Assistant) to the then President, the Navy does not have any records to show that Yoshitha Rajapaksa was appointed to such post. However, the Navy had made special allowances to Rajapaksa for his ‘deployment’ to the said post which too is highly questionable.

Meanwhile, Navy Spokesman Captain Akram Alavi said that this was not the first time that an Officer Cadet had been sent for foreign training within few weeks but in the past too, depending on the requirement, Officer Cadets had been sent oversea for training.

“Although there were allegations against Officer Cadet Yoshitha Rajapaksa being sent to follow courses in the UK soon after he was recruited, this had not been done to favour him but was a procedure. As and when it is required, Sri Lanka Navy sends its officers for foreign training either on scholarships or on payment,” Captain Alavi said.

When asked as to why Yoshitha Rajapaksa had been selected to follow certain courses without following the selection process amongst Rajapaksa’s peers or officers senior to him, the Navy Spokesman said whoever who is sent has to face the selection committee.

“The Navy always follows the selection process and in Rajapaksa’s case, I presume the same process may have  followed but cannot make a comment as I am unware of it,” the Spokesman said.

According to Captain Alavi, those who join the Navy have to sign a contract for 20 years and in the event they relinquish they have to pay the  Sri Lankan Navy,  for the training they receive.

By Hafsa Sabry

Elephants can be kept at Pinnawala and Udawalawe elephant orphanages and hired out to the temples for peraheras

The Chief Incumbent of the Rajamaha Viharaya Kotte, the Ven. Aluthnuwara Anuruddha Thera is being accused of not informing the Department of Wildlife Conservation about the death of the 25-year-old temple elephant, Hemantha, last week and for burying the carcass in secret.

Director General, Department of Wildlife Conservation (WDC) Chandrasiri Bandara said that although it is mandatory to inform the department of any birth or death of an elephant to help maintain records of domesticated elephants, Anuruddha Thera had not followed the DWC guidelines and had not informed the authority the sudden death of Hemantha.

According to Bandara, it was the Divisional Secretariat Kotte that had informed the DWC although it was the temple that should have informed the department.

“Upon receiving the information, our officials visited the temple and made inquiries about the elephant’s death. They requested the temple to submit a post-mortem report of the elephant to ascertain the cause of death,” Bandara said.

According to Animal Rights Activist Irangani de Silva, the 25-year-old Hemantha, who died on Tuesday, March 15, was gifted to the temple by the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage on January 30, 1996.

“We are unaware of the cause of the sudden death of the animal as it is alleged that the owner Anuruddha Thera did not want to inform the DWC as it could have inspired an investigation into the cause of death. It is now up to the DWC to conduct an investigation and find out from those who come to the temple whether the animal was sick before its death,” De Silva said.

De Silva further said that the DWC should now exhume Hemantha’s body and conduct a post mortem to find out what caused the death of such a young animal as speculation is rife that the death was due to some wounds in the animal’s legs being infected.

According to de Silva, the mahout had attacked the animal a few months ago when he became violent during a perahera in Bellanwila which is said to have caused severe injuries to one leg.

“The mahout had beaten the elephant on its leg and we suspect that the untreated wound could have led to the animal falling ill and subsequently dying. There are two more elephants in this temple and if Hemantha was beaten and the wounds were not treated, then the DWC must take quick action and take the remaining two elephants into their care as soon as possible. Strict action could be taken against those who ill-treat the elephants,” De Silva said.

It has also been reported how yet another elephant owned by Anuruddha Thera died three years ago due to a lightning strike while the animal was tied to a tree at a paddy filed near the mahout’s residence in Gampaha. According to De Silva, although it was stated that the elephant died of lightning strike, it is speculated that the animal too had died of injuries caused by the mahout.

“The truth is yet to come to light. Although several complaints were made to the DWC to conduct an investigation as to why that elephant died suddenly, the department failed to conduct any inquiry,” De Silva said.

Meanwhile, Buddhist monks involvement in the elephant smuggling business over the years for the prestige of their temples has caused concern amongst Buddhists.

“Most of the monks who possess elephants do not have licences for the animals and use them to earn money for the temples. If elephants are kept only to take part in peraheras and are well looked after, it is not an issue but if they are not cared for, not given proper medication when they fall sick and if monks hire the animals out for work, then strict action must be taken without their political affiliations being taken into consideration,” De Silva said.

De Silva further explained how the Diyawadana Nilame of the Sacred Temple of the Tooth, Nilanga Dela had forcibly taken away two elephant calves from the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage in 2009 and inflicted burns on them to stop them from crying for their mothers. “These two elephant calves were sucking milk from their mothers when Dela came with his security and dragged them to the Temple of the Tooth. These calves Sindhu and Raju were only 3 years old at the time they were separated from their mothers. These elephant calves were tuskers even though their parents were not. They were considered to possess a very high level of biological value and researchers were hoping to carry out certain experiments on them. Even though  animal rights activists filed court cases against this and made complaints to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) action was not taken against Dela as he got the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s blessings for all his illegal matters,” De Silva said.

De Silva claimed that Dela was very aggressive in taking away the baby elephants from the Pinnawala Orphanage with the help of the armed forces.

“Although we wrote to Mahinda Rajapaksa seeking his intervention to get the two elephant calves released and to re-unite them with their mothers, Rajapaksa did not take any action nor did the Department of Wildlife Conservation. We thought that after the change of government, strict action would be taken against those who keep elephants illegally. Although the DWC has taken away some elephants held illegally, there are many more temples and private parties that still keep these elephants illegally in their possession,” De Silva claimed.

According to De Silva, if the monks say they keep elephants to be used in peraheras, the government should train the elephants and keep them in elephant orphanages to be given out only for peraheras. These elephants can be kept at Pinnawala and Udawalawe elephant orphanages and hired out to the temples for peraheras.De Silva said that the government should implement strict regulations against the monks who are adamant about having elephants at temples for their prestige but do not bother about taking care of them.

Animal rights activist and Attorney-at-Law Lalanie Perera told The Sunday Leader that the laws relating to animal cruelty were enacted in 1907 and should be amended with some new regulations enabling the authorities to take stern action against those who violate the laws.

“An Animal Welfare Act to address the current challenges and weaknesses in animal cruelty was approved by the Cabinet recently. We hope that it will be passed in parliament soon,” Perera said.

• Transport Commission accused of allowing northern secretariats to operate at their whim

by Nirmala Kannangara

The National Transport Commission’s (NTC) failure to regularise the passenger service permit charges in the country has enabled the district secretaries in the Northern Province to refrain from charging the rightful rates for route permits, route permit holders in the Southern Province have alleged.

The five northern district secretaries are of the view that the people in the north need not make any contribution towards the national coffers and that it is the responsibility of the government to look after the people of that province.

It is alleged that the Transport Commission has allowed the district secretaries in the Northern Province to issue route permits for a mere Rs. 3,500 when in other provinces nearly Rs. 75,000 has to be paid for the permit depending on the distance of the route. As a result, the five district secretariats have collectively prevented millions of rupees from going into government coffers.

It is the NTC and the Provincial Road Passenger Transport Authority in each provincial council in the country that issue passenger transport permits for all private buses. According to the National Transport Commission Act No: 37 of 1991, tenders have to be called to issue new passenger service permits and the permits are given to the highest bidders. However, in the Northern Province, tenders are not called but the permits are given by the respective district secretaries to known parties.

According to a private bus owner in Mannar who wished to remain anonymous, bus owners in the Northern Province get the annual permit for Rs. 3,500 but added that they have to pay a bribe to officials involved which comes close to the monthly permit charge in other provinces.

“Officially we pay Rs. 3,500 but unofficially we have to bribe them,” the Mannar bus owner said.

The NTC was set up under the NTC Act where the Commission has to advise the government on the national policy relating to transport services by private buses and also to determine the rates to be charged for the issue or renewal of permits, to ensure the provision of omnibus services on un-remunerative routes, by entering, after the consideration of competing bids, into contracts with persons for the provision of those services and to enter into agreements with any person for the provision of inter-provincial omnibus services and to issue passenger carriage permits in respect thereof.

However, the five Northern Province District Secretaries in Jaffna, Mullaitivu, Killinochchi, Mannar and Vavuniya issue the route permits with out calling for tenders violating the National Transport Commission Act according to their own whims and fancies. It has also been revealed that certain district secretaries and the respective police divisions have allowed certain private buses to operate within the province without having any route permit.

“Being government officials, the five district secretaries should know how to follow government rules and regulations. I am now operating five buses within the Northern Province and when the NTC called tenders I submitted applications for four route permits and got the permits; each cost nearly Rs. 75,000 for a month whereas the permit I got for my fifth bus which was from the Killinochchi District Secretariat, cost me only Rs. 3,500 for one year. The NTC either should reduce our monthly permit cost to match the permit fee charged by the Northern District Secretaries or cancel the permits the district secretaries have issued and call for new tenders and charge the NTC fee,” a private bus owner in Killinochchi told The Sunday Leader on condition of anonymity.

The Sunday Leader is in possession of route permits issued by the district secretariats in the Northern Province and the permits issued by the NTC which have followed the NTC stipulated guidelines. It is puzzling as to why the NTC and the Transport Ministry are having a deaf and dumb attitude in this regard although the manner in which the northern district secretaries issue route permits has been brought up by the relevant authorities continuously.

Chief Operation Superintendent, Sri Lanka Transport Board (SLTB), Upali Kiriwaththuduwa who is also the Monitoring Manager SLTB for the Northern Province told The Sunday Leader that all his requests to regularise route permit charges in the Northern Province had fallen on deaf ears as neither the Transport Minister nor the Chairman NTC have instructed the five district secretaries to abide by the NTC guidelines.

Kiriwaththuduwa accused the five DSs of making statements openly that they cannot charge higher rates from their people in order to bring revenue to the central government and that it is the central government’s responsibility to look after the northern people.

“All government higher officials in the north including the district secretaries are bringing back racism to the north although the general public is innocent,” Kiriwaththuduwa said.

According to Kiriwaththuduwa, although temporary permits can be issued only for those who have permanent permits, the district secretaries in the north issue temporary permits even to those who do not have permanent permits which is illegal.

“In the event a bus

with a permanent route permit is out of order, the owner of that bus can request for a temporary permit to another bus to ply the same route in the absence of the permanent bus.

However, the DSs issue temporary permits to those who do not have permanent route permits,” Kiriwaththuduwa alleged.

Kiriwaththuduwa accused the Transport Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva and Chairman NTC, M.A.B. Hemachandra of not taking any action although at a meeting held on January 29, an assurance was given by Hemachandra to look into how permits are renewed for a lower rate.

“A meeting was called by the NTC to discuss the joint time table for SLTB and private buses in the country which all SLTB regional managers and I attended. I made a request to the Transport Minister and the Chairman NTC to take action against the district secretaries in the north and to call new bids and offer the permits to the highest bidders.

Although I was told that quick action would be taken, to date no action had been taken and the district secretaries are renewing permits according to their own whims and fancies,” Kiriwaththuduwa claimed.

According to the route permits the NTC has issued after following tender procedure, S. Palaniyandi of Vavuniya had paid Rs. 4.104 million to obtain the route permit for bus ND 8997 for 48 months while P. Pathmarajan of Vavuniya had paid Rs. 3.611 million for the permit for bus NC 4128. For bus ND 9141, Rs. 5.057 million had been paid by its owner K. Rasakulasingam of Vavuniya and T. Thillainadan also from Vavuniya had paid Rs. 4.968 million to obtain the permit for bus ND 8925.

“The above amounts have been paid to get their permits renewed monthly over a period of four years. All these buses have got their route permits from Vavuniya to Jaffna after submitting their bids when tenders were called unlike the Northern Province secretaries who issue permits for one year at a cost of only Rs. 3,500 for a year. Those who get the legal NTC permits have to pay over Rs.1 million for 12 months,” Kiriwaththuduwa said.

Meanwhile Kiriwaththuduwa accused the Mannar, Silavathurai, Mullaitivu, Jaffna and Killinochchi police divisions for not taking any action on the complaints lodged against certain private buses that ply without any route permits.

“We have lodged several complaints in this regard but none of the police divisions have taken any action to arrest those running these buses, violating government rules. We have all the complaint numbers and the complaints we have lodged to prove that the police are inefficient and work hand in glove with the transport commission officials in the North who allow some private buses to operate without route permits,” Kiriwaththuduwa alleged.

He further accused the Northern Transport Commission of not agreeing to operate a combined bus service between SLTB and private buses as the Transport Commission does not want the SLTB buses to operate during peak hours.

“They want the SLTB buses to operate only during the non-peak hours and on routes that do not make profits. Since I took over office as the Monitoring Manager SLTB Northern Province, I managed to get all seven depots in Point Pedro, Karainagar, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Jaffna, Vavuniya and Mannar to become revenue generating SLTB depots in the country.”

“The five DSs cannot say that it is the SLTB’s duty to operate their buses mainly on routes that generate a poor income and also to allow only private buses to operate during peak hours.

Although the private buses in the north do not want to follow the joint time table, the SLTB buses follows it. Since we are plying during peak hours against the private bus operators requirement, the SLTB buses are now under attack but the police in the north do not take any action,” Kiriwaththuduwa said.

When contacted, District Secretary, Mannar said it is the transport commission in the respective district secretariats that issue the permits and not the DS. Before the Northern Provincial Council was established, power was delegated to the DS to issue and renew route permits but for the past two and a half years it is the transport commission officials are responsible for renewing permits.

When asked how he made such a claim when this newspaper was in possession of route permits renewed under the signature of the Chief Accountant of Mannar District Secretariat, the Divisional Secretary said he could not answer further questions as he is busy with some officials.

However when contacted, District Secretary Killinochchi said he was not aware of how this happened and promised he would check on it and call the newspaper back. The newspaper however never received that call.

Refuting allegations, Chairman NTC, M.A.B. Hemachandra said the Transport Commission does not know the procedure followed by the District Secretaries in the North for issuing the route permits.

“The DS cannot take the decision as to how much the bus owners have to pay for the annual permits. There is a pricing formula passed by the cabinet of ministers. When there is a pricing formula, the DS cannot renew these permits for a minimal amount which is a loss to the government,” Hemachandra said.

Hemachandra further said that it is completely against the law to issue permits from the Northern Province to any other province without calling for tenders. “If there are permits to prove that certain district secretaries have issued permits to other provinces from the north, it is illegal. Even one DS cannot issue a permit to another administrative district without calling for tenders. The NTC is planning to take over the DSs work in issuing permits within three months as the procedure they follow knowingly or unknowingly is illegal and is a loss to the government,” Hemachandra added.

When informed that the DS had said it was the NTC officers who handle the permit renewals and it is they who charge the bus owners, Hemachandra said that the NTC has not deployed any of their employees at the five district secretariats in the Northern Province but it is the DSs that have appointed people claiming that they are from the NTC. “None of our staff work in these five district secretariats. The district secretaries are lying to cover up their faults,” he added.

When asked how legal it is for the Northern Province District Secretariats to issue permits on NTC letterheads with the NTC logo, Hemachandra said that they have no authority to issue permits with the NTC logo.

“We have not given them any authority to use our logo when issuing permits. If they have done so we can take action against them,” Hemachandra said.

• Many more guilty parties behind the jumbo-sized racket says Anti-Corruption Front

by  Hafsa Sabry

Over the last ten years, politicians, monks and several influential individuals are alleged to have smuggled baby elephants from the wild. Even though some of the suspects were arrested and released on bail, there are more cases that should be brought to light, the Anti-Corruption Front (ACF) has said.

Senior Consultant ACF, Keerthi Tennakoon told The Sunday Leader that this is a large-scale racket in which several high profile individuals are involved. Several administrative individuals and government officers have links to elephant smuggling cases whereas only six cases have been processed so far.

“We are not sure why the new government is not taking any action against the elephant racket. Is there any political influence at play blocking the investigations although there is sufficient evidence to prove elephant smuggling and those who are behind it,” Tennakoon said.

According to Tennakoon, several she-elephants have been killed and their calves seized from the wild. These baby elephants had been registered by submitting false documents to the Department of Wildlife Conservation (DWC).

Section 22 (a) and Section 23 (a) (9) of the Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance (FFPO) says: “In the event of a pregnancy of a registered she elephant, the owner shall inform the Director-General DWC of such pregnancy together with details of its father.” Section 23 (a) (10) of FFPO says: “It is the duty of the elephant owner to inform the Director-General DWC or any authorised officer of the fact of any birth, miscarriage or still birth of elephants within seven days from the date of occurrence.”

After the new amendments were brought in to the FFPO in 2009 which states that all elephants and their calves had to be registered under the WDC to maintain records of the domesticated animals, only a few who were having elephants legally in their possession got their elephants registered with the DWC but most of the others didn’t as they did not have proper details to submit to the Wildlife Department.

According to Tennakoon, Ajith Gallage of Hokandara South and Ali Roshan alias Chuuti Mahaththaya of Maharagama are alleged to have four elephants each in their possession while Suneth Weerasinghe of Jeewani Cinema Alawwa, Gaandhinee Rajapaksa (Mahinda Rajapaksa’s sister) of Deniyaya and MP Namal Rajapaksa illegally possess two elephants each.

Tennakoon also said that Pradeep Minapalana, the owner of the Sri Dalada Maligawa Tusker, Buddhika Miriella of lower Kadugannawa, Colombo Fort Additional Magistrate Thilina Gamage of Nilammahara Road, Maharagama,  Kolonnawe Siri Sumangala Thera of Dewram Vehera, Pannipitiya, Wasana Bakers of Horana, Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera of Alan Methiniyaramaya, Polhengoda, Simon and Sons of Biyagama, Waruna Kannangara of Horana, Dharanagama Kusaladhamma Thera of Sri Sambodhi Viharaya Colombo 7, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, former Parliamentarian Sajin Vaas Gunawardena, Premasiri  of Premasiri Safari, Habarana, former Chief Minister Uva Province, Shashendra Rajapaksa and Basnayake Nilame of Ruhunu Katharagama  are also in possession of smuggled elephants.

According to Tennakoon, the investigations conducted into the smuggled wild elephants by the Auditor General’s Department revealed that the owners have sent backdated applications to obtain approval from the DWC, an attempt to circumvent the provisions of the FFPO amended in 2009.

However, several cases of fake documents made by the owners with the help of the DWC officials and the divisional secretariats were also brought to light through the CID investigations.

According to Government Audit reports, , Kithsiri Kahatapitiya of Pokunuwita, Horana had got a female baby elephant registered on April 9, 2012 at the DWC (WaG/05/05/01/01-345) by submitting fraudulent documents. A sworn affidavit had been submitted to show Kithsiri Kahatapitiya was the legal owner of the elephant calf claiming that its mother was dead. The Grama Niladhari however had failed to sign the affidavit.

“Moreover, the registration fee, veterinary surgeon’s report and the extension license for the period of 2013/2014 had not been submitted with the file but the officials at the DWC had still issued the permits for the fraudulent and incomplete documents,” Tennakoon claimed.

Meanwhile, a male baby elephant had been registered on May 10, 2012 by the DWC (Registration No: 347) on fraudulent documents submitted by Bharatha Deshapriya Amarathunga of 563, Old Road, Meegoda.

According to Tennakoon, Amarathunga had not submitted a sworn affidavit nor a Grama Niladhari’s letter in the registration file and the information given about the elephant’s height does not tally with its age. “Amarathunga had not paid the registration fees. The initial ownership and the subsequent ownership were also erroneously mentioned. In the registration file a receipt of sale had been given to show that the baby elephant had been sold to Ven. Dharanaagama Kusaladhamma Thera of Sri Sambodhi Viharaya, Gregory’s Road, Colombo 7.”

The DWC had registered a female elephant calf on May 10, 2012 under registration number 348 although the necessary documents submitted for the registration had been scratched, earased and there were no details as to how the elephant calf was obtained.

“In this case, W. M. D. P. Sandamali Wijemanne of 72/1, Gangabadawaththe, Medagoda, Amirithigala had submitted documents to the DWC to get her elephant calf registered but questions have been raised as to how the Wildlife Department registered the animal as the documents the owner had submitted had been scratched, erased and certain details changed; there were no details as to how she obtained the elephant and from whom and even the registration fee was not paid. The height and the girth of the elephant too had not been given,” Tennakoon said.

According to the application, details of how the baby elephant was obtained have to be provided but the owner had failed to submit the vital information which had been ignored by the DWC who had gone ahead and issued the registration certificate.

Details of several other smuggled elephants had also been highlighted in the ACF report.

“When inspecting the files pertaining to the registration of the afore-mentioned elephants, it can easily be observed that elephant registration numbers 345, 347 and 348 have been done by accepting fraudulent documents. Even elephant registration numbers 164, 226, 227, 228, 333 and 346 have been done illegally by accepting forged and fraudulent documents,” Tennakoon claimed.

Tennakkoon said that questions raised by audit queries to the effect that DWC officials directly and indirectly assisted this fraudulent exercise cannot be dismissed.

Tennakoon further said that the anti-corruption front had submitted a thorough report on the elephant smuggling cases and who were behind it, in order to push the government authorities to act immediately to stop animal cruelty.

Following Ven. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera being bailed following his arrest for possessing an elephant without a valid permit, questions have been raised as to why the Colombo Fort Chief Magistrate who is named as a suspect in a similar case has so far not been arrested. “If the Thera could be arrested why cannot the law enforcing authorities arrest Gamage who is accused of the same charges?” Tennakkoon querried.

Meanwhile, Chairman Centre for Species Conservation, Pubudu Weeraratne said that Magistrate Thilina Gamage’s case is still in the reporting process and that the suspect will be arrested after the process is over.

However, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has launched a thorough investigation into how elephant calves were given by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and five others through sannas pathra.

Investigations are being conducted into the elephants in the custody of Major Neville Wanniarachchi (former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s security officer) of Aththanayaka Road, Medamulana, former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa of 26, Pengiriwaththe Road, Mirihana, Nugegoda, Chief Incumbent of the Bellanwila Raja Maha Viharaya, Ven. Bellanwila Wimalarathana Thera, Nilanthi Bandara Weerasinghe of Kandalama Walawuwa, Meerigama and the Chief Executive of Rajapaksa Foundation and a cousin of Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapaksa Upul Dissanayake of Palatuwa , Mahaovita, Medamulama. The elephant that was given to the Panagoda Army Camp was initially given to the former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and the elephant has now been handed over to the Pinnawela Elephant Orphanage.

by Easwaran Rutnam

The resettlement process in the North had run into a sticky situation after the Northern Provincial Council (NPC) decided to oppose any housing project in the North which did not have the approval of the council.

A Resolution in this regard adopted by the council last Thursday has been dispatched to President Maithripala Sirisena.

NPC members said that the Resolution states that a proposed project to construct 65,000 houses in the North and East for war affected families does not have the approval of the council. The NPC is of the view that the houses are to be of poor quality and so should not be constructed in the North.

The NPC has also objected to a housing project of the army which is to be ceremonially declared open early next month by President Maithripala Sirisena.

The ‘Sathvirugama’ village of Reconciliation consists of 51 new homes at Kokeliya, Vavuniya built by the army 56th Division of the Security Force Headquarters in the Wanni and the 4 Corps of Engineer Services (4 CES) through funds of the ‘Api Wenuwen Api’ fund of the Ministry of Defence (MoD).

The project will see houses being handed over to Tamil female soldiers and army personnel married to Tamil women.

NPC member Dr. Kandaia Sarveswaran said that the former government had constructed houses in the north saying it was for Tamils but later resettled Sinhalese families at those houses and now the “good governance” government is trying to do the same.

“They are trying to mislead the international community by saying it’s a reconciliation village but instead are trying to make Sinhalese colonies in the North,” he said.

The NPC member claimed that the houses have been built on land owned by Tamils in the area. He also claimed that the Tamil names of the roads are being changed and given Sinhalese names. He also said that there is a fear that having army families to be resettled in the area could lead to clashes in the future.

“They will disrupt the peaceful lives of the Tamils in the area,” he said.

Kandaia Sarveswaran said that the government has been urged to give the houses to civilian families and not army families.

He warned that if the project is taken forward then the government may force the Tamils in the area to fight for their rights once again.

However, the Ministry of Defence denied claims that the project was being used to change the demography in the North. Additional Secretary Sarath Chandrasiri Vithana said that the houses in Vavuniya have been constructed on government owned land. “This is a government project,” he said.

Each house erected on 40 perch land slots is worth about Rs 2 million. Defence Secretary Karunasena Hettiarachchi said last week that the project would help heal the wounds of Tamils.

The Navy has offered its assistance to prepare a new playground inside the complex while the Sri Lanka Air Force has undertaken the task of erecting a new children’s park. The Sri Lanka army has meanwhile promised to construct a community hall and the landscaping in the new house compounds with the support of all the regiments in the army.

“The new housing complex in Kokeliya symbolises the co-existence, reconciliation and the harmony that could be promoted by tri-services for the betterment of our society,” Hettiarachchi said.

Meanwhile Hettiarachchi also said that a total of about 3700 acres of land have already been released to the Jaffna civilians.

Hettiarachchi however said that land in some areas in the North are required by the military for security reasons.He said that those lands will not be released but the owners will be compensated by being paid more than the actual land value.

The government meanwhile says it has set a goal to close all IDP camps in the North, East and resettle the remaining war displaced families.

Lakshman Kiriella said that the government, during the last Parliamentary elections, gave an assurance that all the war displaced people will be resettled and IDP camps closed.

He said that since such a promise was given, the government is determined to complete that process soon.

There was also a concern that the Palaly airport will be expanded and that this will result in more people losing their homes.

The government however said that the Palaly airport in Jaffna will be converted into a regional airport and not an international airport.

Minister of Resettlement D.M. Swaminathan said that the government wants to ensure the war displaced are given homes and resettled soon.

The Minister said the government wants to have flights between India and Sri Lanka to operate from Jaffna.

However he insisted that the government has no plans to convert Palaly into an international airport and see more families in the North being displaced.