Mahinda Rajapaksa recommended Singapore
Sarath to be coordinating secretary?
Tuesday, 10 February 2015
There is justifiable suspicion that it was on the recommendation of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa that Don Sarath Kumara Edirisinghe alias Singapore Sarath, a suspect-turned-state-witness in the murder of Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha member Hasitha Madawala, has been appointed a coordinating secretary to public security minister John Amaratunga, law and peace ministry sources say.
Singapore Sarath is the owner of Samanala Restaurant in Kiribathgoda and was involved in illicit alcohol and other rackets in the area when he was a coordinating secretary to former minister Mervyn Silva.
The CID has reported to the magistrate’s court that the son of Singapore Sarath had given the pistol to Madawala’s killer Rangana Kumara, who is the son of his elder sister. After the murder was committed, Singapore Sarath had kept Rangana in hiding and had planned to send him to Singapore, but he was arrested at the airport.
The first suspect of the Madawala murder, Singapore Sarath was freed following three months in remand custody on the order of the former president. At a request of Mervyn, Mahinda had ordered the attorney general’s department, which was under him at the time, to release him under any pretext. Initially, the department objected, but after the president used his filthy language on a top official there, Singapore Sarath was declared a state witness and freed.
Later, when he met Singapore Sarath, Mahinda had said that Rangana too, could be given a presidential pardon once things cooled down. A person with such a record being appointed a coordinating secretary of the law and peace ministry will leave good governance at the mercy of the gods, a top official of the department told our reporter.
Special Presidential Commission To Probe Into Rajapaksa Regime Corruption
February 10, 2015
President Sirisena today announced that a special Commission will be appointed within the coming week to probe into the massive scale corruption that had occurred during the Rajapaksa regime.
Speaking at an event in Aralaganwila last night, President Sirisena while admitting that there has been a delay in bringing those who engaged in corruptive deals to book, said nevertheless those who are found guilty will be duly reprimanded legally as promised in his 100-day program .
As per the schedule noted in the 100-day program, this commission was to be appointed on February 5. This promise comes midst rising criticism from various quarters in the country concerning a reluctance of the incumbent regime to stick to the promise made to hold corrupt individuals accountable for their actions.
