PM jealous of Rattaran Rohitha’s Rs. 2.5 m ring!
Sunday, 26 April 2015
Port development minister of the former Rajapaksa regime, Rohitha Abeygunawardena alias Rattaran, spent his ministerial salary in the past 10 years sparingly, saved some Rs. 2.5 million, and on the advice of Sumanadasa Abeygunawardena, bought and wore a ring to drive away evil, but that ring has left prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe in a fit of jealousy, reports say.
That is because of a remark the PM made in Badulla yesterday (25).
Referring to Rattaran Rohitha’s ring, he said it is now clear as to who the thieves are. Only Mahinda Rajapkasa knows that Rattaran Rohitha has bought this ring with the money he had hard earned through his own sweat, because the former president too, is a person who had earned similarly. That is why he is left with a cold sweat when asked to appear before various commissions to give statements with regard to such hard earned money. The people of Kalutara, well knowing how Rattaran Rohitha jumped out of moving trains, ran along paddy fields and rubber estates to earn money, elected him as their representative to parliament in order to travel in trains without any fear for their gold jewllery. In parliament too, what Rattaran Rohitha did was his old job. Anyhow, the Rajapaksas gave a livelihood for those who are skilled at it.
Within 10 years in parliament, Rattaran Rohitha was able to wear a ring worth Rs. 2.5 m, but Ranil Wickremesinghe who has been in parliament for nearly 40 years, does not even have a wrist watch of his own. Wearing rubber slippers like Rattaran Rohitha did, Basil Rohana Rajapaksa came to Sri Lanka from the US in 2005, but a few days ago he went to the financial crime investigation division wearing a Rolex wrist watch worth 60,000 US dollars. Wearing a similar Rolex wrist watch, ex-president Mahinda Rajapaksa boarded a helicopter with Upali Dharmadasa to view a cricket match at Suriyawewa international stadium, but he alighted wearing wrist watches in both hands. Boarding the helicopter wearing a 30,000 US dollar wrist watch, Dharmadasa alighted at Suriyawewa empty handed. Mahinda did not frighten him, but only said, “Sh.. Upali, what a wrist watch!” When he alighted, that wrist watch was in Mahinda’s right hand.
PM Wickremesinghe should take examples from such persons and such incidents. For the first time in world history, after an overnight stay in a parliament, having a bite and a shot and getting legs crossed, a Rs. 2.5 m ring was found by the sergeant-at-arms entangled on a saree on the following morning. Rather than speaking with jealousy about such things, Ranil should learn from Rattaran Rohitha and follow his footsteps.
