MR Threatened Me Into Remaining Silent On Govt Corruption: Maithripala
Common Opposition candidate Maithripala Sirisena says he never raised issues about the rampant corruption within the government because he was threatened by President Rajapaksa to keep mum about issues concerning bribery and corruption in the regime.
Speaking at the launch of the book – the ‘Doom Boom Economy’ authored by JHU frontliner and former Minister Champika Ranawaka yesterday, Sirisena recalled the incident following which he had been threatened by President Rajapaksa to remain silent about the corruption within his government.
“It was in 2011; I had attended a progress review meeting of the Economic Development Ministry monetary projects. . . During the gathering, issues were raised concerning the prevalent public view of the large scale frauds in road construction projects. I spoke up then and stressed on the importance of rectifying such issues,” Sirisena recalled.
Sirisena said he received a phone call from Temple Trees the very next day. He had been summoned to meet the President, who had demanded to know whether he spoke on corruption over the construction of roads.
“I said yes and explained that it was a growing public view. I advised him that it was not a good development and on the need to address it immediately. President Rajapaksa then pointed his finger at me and said that if I am to remain in the government I must remain silent on the corruption within his regime. . . He also asked me ‘තමුසේ වෙන ගමනක්ද යන්න හදන්නේ’ (Are you attempting to undertake a separate journey?),” Sirisena said adding that it was on that day, he decided that he would not raise an issue on corruption until he left the Rajapska regime.
Prof. Rajiva Wijesinha MP
By Rajiva Wijesinha -December 16, 2014
A Presidency Under Threat; Strange theories of Economic Development
One of my Tamil friends was recently at Temple Trees to participate in the exercises the poor President is now engaged in to try to win hearts and minds. But the experience was surreal, for discussion of substance was it seems left to Basil Rajapaksa, whilst the President contented himself with assuring his guests that he had taken precautions to stop further crossovers. Whether this was through carrots or sticks he did not elaborate.
Basil’s idea of substance of course leaves much to be desired. As the villagers where I spent the last weekend were saying, with regard to the sudden lowering of fuel and gas prices, the President thinks they are all babies. But at least the President, I still firmly believe, loves the people, and his tragedy is that he seems to love more those who do not share his own instincts and affections. But Basil it seems has nothing but contempt for them, for he thinks nothing of their future. As one shrewd Indian commentator put it with regard to the manner in which Kshenuka Senewiratne destroyed the goodwill Dayan Jayatilleka had built up, she ignored those without glamour except to ask them, when a crisis loomed, for their votes.Read More
