Paskaralingam the master Deal Maker

Oct 05, 2016

The once disgraced former treasury secretary Paskaralingem who was found guilty of gross abuse and corruption by a presidential commission has the habit of reappearing in Sri Lanka every time a UNP government comes into power and disappears when the UNP is out of office to London, he is up to his old tricks according to sources.

He now uses his power in a Committee on Economic Matters to do deals, the Prime Minister chairs the committee. All Ministry secretaries have been very clearly instructed not to take unsolicited proposals by the mafia at the Prime Minister's office, so that people like Paskaralaingam can at the forefront push unsolicited proposals.

 

The latest is a proposal to survey the lands in Sri Lanka. Pasakaralingam who has passed his prime many years ago simply has very little know how on the subject or for that matter technology. But for strange reasons he has taken upon his shoulder to promote this American Company Trimple. He himself has pushed the technology based proposal fast through the Cabinet Sub Committee to Cabinet and approved for implementation.

 

Sources say they suspect a top ministry official may have also been influenced by the local agent. What is Paskarralingam’s interest in such a project ?

 

Paskaralingem's modus operandi is he sells the Prime Minister's name in almost every conversation. The contract value we understand is United States Dollars 180 Million.

 

How can a country like Sri Lanka afford this expenditure when they cannot even afford to give a salary adjustment to public servants and the same project can be done according to trade union sources in the ministry for 1/3 rd of the price.

 

JVP sources say their union is up in arms that when the department can do it at 1/3 rd of the price, why Paskaralingame is pushing an American Company to do the project using bank loans.

 

A company close to Paskaralingem that was involved in similar deals with the previous administration is behind this latest deal. This same offer was pushed during the Rajapakse days according to the JVP source.  Minister when contacted said they were unaware of an American company. Sources told us that they are surprised as to why the Prime Minister is keeping a man like Paskaralingam in Temple Trees Office given his blemished track record during the Premadasa era and his current involvement in road contracts and import contracts exposed over and over again in social media.

 

Many people in the SLFP are concerned about the reappearance of people like Paskaralingem who has very little to lose than to gain hugely by holding an important position to evaluate multi billion Dollar contracts.

 

This continued assault of good governance starting with the bond fiasco, reflects very poorly on the Prime Minister and the impunity and arrogance of people like Paskaralaingam. A JVP source told us they would ask for an explanation of this latest transaction among the many from the Minister in Parliament during the budget debate in November.

 

 - By Good Governance Watch