Rajapaksa Was The Biggest Beneficiary From P-TOMS Legislation
| by Upasiri de Silva
( January 1, 2014, Melbourne, Sri Lanka Guardian) With the Presidential Election looming, P-TOMS, has taken a centre stage, as many who write or talk about the P-TOMS is not aware how and when P-TOMS legislation was presented to the Parliament by present President Mahinda Rajapakse when he was the Prime Minister under Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranayke Kumaratunge. Everyone who write about P-toms direct the finger accusing Mrs. C.B.K, without any clues why it was necessary for the then government to create such a legislation.
So, Mahinda Rajapakse is the only beneficiary of the Tsunami funds given by the World Bank, as he got benefited from helping Hambantota.
2004 December Tsunami devastated the Coastal belt of the country and the North and the East was battered badly and the South coastal sea belt form Hambantota to Negombo was also got battered loosing many lives and their houses.
Donors from world over rushed to help the country and, World Bank also took their time and approved US $ 720,000 as compensation for the Reconstruction of the damage dwellings along the coastal belt.
World Bank country Director and his two assistance wanted the 1/3 share allocated for the LTTE areas to be handed over to LTTE directly by them. As THRU Officials came to understand the reality of what the WB was trying to do, they informed then President Mrs. Chandrika Bandaranayke Kumaratunga and her immediate action with the World Bank in Washington, stop the Sri Lanka Country Director disposing the LTTE share direct to the LTTE.
Money Deposited with the Treasury
As Sri Lankan government refused to allow the WB to hand over the US $ 240,000 million to LTTE direct, CB country Director got very angry and stop GOSL using the US 480,000, till the GOSL take proper steps to distribute the US$ 240,000 to the LTTE.
To overcome this impasse P-TOMS Legislation was prepared by the legal department, but they left few loop holes to over throw the legislation if challenge.
P-TOMS Legislation was presented at the Parliament by then Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and it was approved with a majority vote, and the JVP, as instructed by some legal official’s took the matter to courts, and then CJ disallowed the legislation and the funds was confined to treasury Vaults.
2005 Presidential Election.
As the election was proclaimed Mahinda used Tiran Ales to promise to hand over the funds to LTTE and he came to an agreement with the LTTE THRU Head Pulidevan (shot by the Armed Forces) to hand over the funds after the election if Mahinda wins on one condition. That was to stop Tamils voting in the Presidential election. Pulidevan did it and Tamils boycott the election and Mahinda won the Presidency.
So, Mahinda Rajapakse is the only beneficiary of the Tsunami funds given by the WB, as he got benefited from helping Hambantota.
