Access Director Theo Fernando to be questioned by FFID, Sumal Perera next...
Saturday, 21 March 2015
Access Director Theo Fernando to be questioned by FFID, Sumal Perera next... President cancels Access Group's Rs.1 mil per cow deal with Basil and Thonda, totalling Rs.15 billion
President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered that a highly questionable and controversial mega deal to import as much as 22,500 Milch cows from Australia be cancelled immediately. He had been visibly shocked when he heard the full details of this colossal expenditure from the new Minister of Social Welfare and Livestock Development Mr. P. Harrison.
Positioning at the 'right place and right time', Sumal Perera's Access Group chartering in unfamiliar territory and on behalf of the former Minister of Economic Affairs Mr. Basil Rajapaksa's infamous Economic Development Ministry and acting as agents by opening a 'fly-by-night' company called FORESIGHT, a few years ago had been
awarded the highly controversial government contract under the Divi Neguna programme to import 22,500 young female cows (heifers) for a mind boggling amount of US$ 100 million from Wellard Group in
Australia. "Each imported cow was costing the government an exorbitant price of approximately one million rupees" said Minister Harrison. He added that each imported cow would have to produce at least 80,000
more liters of milk than the local ones in its lifetime in order to justify and cover this exorbitant cost! Each cow would have to live another 10 more lives for this to be feasible, added the Minister in jest. This controversial deal was even brought up in parliament by the opposition some time back, but as usual nothing was done to
investigate during the corrupt Rajapakse regime period.
awarded the highly controversial government contract under the Divi Neguna programme to import 22,500 young female cows (heifers) for a mind boggling amount of US$ 100 million from Wellard Group in
Australia. "Each imported cow was costing the government an exorbitant price of approximately one million rupees" said Minister Harrison. He added that each imported cow would have to produce at least 80,000
more liters of milk than the local ones in its lifetime in order to justify and cover this exorbitant cost! Each cow would have to live another 10 more lives for this to be feasible, added the Minister in jest. This controversial deal was even brought up in parliament by the opposition some time back, but as usual nothing was done to
investigate during the corrupt Rajapakse regime period.
FORESIGHT is headed by Access Board Director Theo Fernando, the newest billionaire of the Access Group of Companies after the vast millions he together with his Chairman Sumal Perera had fraudulently profiteered by importing thousands of these milch cows from Australia over the last few years with the full blessings and support of their "God Father" Basil Rajapakse who has now surreptitiously fled the country a day after the presidential elections in January.
Mr.Harrison stated that the previous government during its last days had also hastily imported some 2,000 milch cows from Australia spending Rs.1 million for each of the animals with loans taken from state banks and had hurriedly placed another order for 2,500 just before the elections. This entire deal had now been fully cancelled by President Mr. Maithripala Sirisena who understood the utter wastefulness of this project as a person hailing from a farming background in rural Polonnaruwa.
Access Director Theo Fernando to be questioned by FFID?
The Economic Development Ministry's former secretary Dr.Nihal Jayatileka was yesterday interrogated by the Financial Frauds Investigation Division (FFID) Police said. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said the the interrogation was over a number of allegations of financial fraud in the Divi Neguna Department this Aussie Milk cow project was coming under.
The Economic Development Ministry's former secretary Dr.Nihal Jayatileka was yesterday interrogated by the Financial Frauds Investigation Division (FFID) Police said. Police spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said the the interrogation was over a number of allegations of financial fraud in the Divi Neguna Department this Aussie Milk cow project was coming under.
Meanwhile the Divi Neguna Department's former director R.K.Ranawaka was also interrogated by the FFID on March 13th related to a series of allegations of fraud. Reliable sources at FFID confided that they will
have to summon Mr.Theo Fernando for interrogation in due course to answer some of these allegations leveled at his hastily formed "Fly by night " outfit called FORESIGHT to handle the importation of Australian cows.
have to summon Mr.Theo Fernando for interrogation in due course to answer some of these allegations leveled at his hastily formed "Fly by night " outfit called FORESIGHT to handle the importation of Australian cows.
Questions to be asked from Former Livestock Minister A. Thondaman, NLDB Officials and Access Group are to provide details such as,
1) Specifications on which these animals were selected such as pedigree, expected milk yields , parity, vaccination status and pregnancy stage.
2) Were these animals vaccinated against specific diseases prior to shipment?
3) Who selected these animals and how many were rejected?
4) Duration and location of quarantine in Sri Lanka.
5) The post- arrival feeding and Vaccination program.
6) Postmortem findings on the animals that died.
7) The symptoms and diagnosis on the animals that were or are sick.
8) Hosing conditions in Sri Lanka.
Australia is endemic to many serious diseases affecting dairy cattle and extreme precautions should be taken when importing animals from there. Further, it is both stupid and a crime to import stud bulls from Australia, when high quality frozen semen and sexed embryos are available at very competive prices from the US, Canada and the EU.
