Namal threatens hotel owner in Sinharaja

Monday, 28 November 2011

The President’s eldest son parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa has threatened Sarathchandra Mudalali from Embilipitiya, who is the owner of a picturesque hotel at the corner of the Sinharaja forest.

MP Namal had asked the businessman on several occasions to give the hotel to him. Angered by the rejection, MP Namal has threatened to shut the hotel claiming it was a threat to the environment.

Sarathchandra Mudalali, who is now under pressure to hand over the hotel by MP Namal, has been a close friend of President Mahinda Rajapaksa for a long time. He had provided meals and helped Mahinda Rajapaksa when he used to travel to Embilipitiya as an ordinary lawyer.

It is learnt that a Buddhist monk in an aranya near the hotel has commenced a protest calling from the closure of the hotel on MP Namal’s insistence.

MP Namal Rajapaksa has also asked Deputy Power and Energy Minister Premalal Jayasekera alias Choka Malli to provide an electricity supply to the aranya across the hotel under the Vidulamu Sri Lanka-Ratnapura programme.

However, Sarathchandra Mudalali has objected to the move to take electricity wires across the hotel premises. Angered by it, the deputy minister has ordered the project officer, Caldera to take the power wires across the hotel.

Dpeuty Minister Choka Malli had made the request when Caldera had accompanied him on a trip to Kala Wewa.

However, a government MP said that Sarathchandra Mudalali was likely to disappear due to his confrontation with MP Namal.

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Government broadcasting units taken over by President’s son’s CSN

Monday, 28 November 2011

Broadcasting units of the state owned Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC), Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC) and Independent Television Network (ITN) have discreetly been taken over by the Carlton Sports Network (CSN) owned by President’s son, Naval Officer Yoshitha Rajapaksa and his girl friend, it is learnt.

Equipment belonging to CSN have been placed at the ITN transmission station in the Sinharaja forest. The transmission is being carried out after placing the equipment in part of the workers’ boarding house. The lives of the workers have therefore been placed in danger due to the unsuitable rays emitted during broadcasting.

The CSN has also placed its equipment in the SLBC transmission tower in Haputhale and has not assigned any workers to it. A similar situation has been reported from the Nayabedda transmission station.

Therefore, the broadcasting rights of sports programmes, transmitting equipment and workers of the state owned entities are being used by the private TV channel belonging to the President’s sons.