Massive fraud by RDA’s Pemasiri exposed

Apr 09, 2017

The then chairman of the Road Development Authority R.W.R. Pemasiri was directly involved in the financial irregularities committed during the previous regime in the construction of expressways and highways, ‘Sathhanda’ reports.

Pemasiri was also head of the tender committee of the RDA. He was appointed by Mahinda Rajapaksa as secretary to the ministry of highways, port and shipping as well. Abusing his offices, Pemasiri did not call for tenders, but gave the contracts to cronies of the Rajapaksas, obtained consultancy services at exorbitant rates and violated the road construction guidelines, according to the accusations leveled against him.

Correspondence between the UDA chairman, tender committee and the ministry, including the letters of permission, were all signed by Pemasiri. The subject minister at the time was Mahinda Rajapaksa himself. With the regime change on 08 January 2015, Pemasiri stopped reporting for duty and left to live in Australia.

The highways minister of the 100-day government Kabir Hashim told the media at the World Trade Centre that the biggest financial frauds in the Rajapaksa regime had been committed at the highways ministry, but not even a complaint had been made to the FCID regarding them so far.

Daya Nettasinghe - Sathhanda