Anti-Corruption “Band Wagon”
Gamini Jayaweera
These days almost all the media outlets in Sri Lanka are up in arms about the alleged corrupt activity performed by none other than the former Foreign and Lotteries Board Minister, Mr. Ravi Karunanayake. Numerous TV programmes, news headlines, editorials in the newspapers, and articles written by academics and others focus their attention on this alleged illegal activity carried out by one of the powerful ministers in the “Yahapalanaya” government.
Why are we surprised about this story? Why are we raising our voices, giving our opinions, and condemning Ravi K. about this dirty business which is practiced by most of our elected representatives? Are we witnessing an “abnormal” activity carried out by one of our top politicians? Haven’t we heard of such stories in the past? Have these politicians got any moral shame and moral fear for these disgraceful activities? Don’t they find some excuses, and lies to justify their repeated unforgivable corrupt activities? Once they get caught they resign (not all) claiming that they have done the “honourable” thing! Then a few months later they get reappointed as Ministers or Advisers to the government with all the perks and benefits. After Ravi. K’s alleged corruption charges, the public is dismayed by the hypocritical behaviour of most politicians of the last regime who have allegedly ransacked the public funds. The way they speak in public about dishonest and fraudulent conduct of the members of the present regime is laughable.
Previous Regime & “Joint Opposition”
It is in the public arena that most of the Ministers and MPs from the previous regime and the so called “Joint Opposition” are being investigated for alleged inappropriate use of public funds, fraud, and criminal activities. During the last regime, the alleged fraudulent and corrupt activities were part and parcel of their daily life. No actions were taken against these alleged fraudsters because of their relationship with the leader and his henchmen. Let us refresh our memories about some of the ongoing cases, cover ups and charges against the members of the previous regime and their relatives. Some of these cases can be summarised as follows:
- COPE Reports under Mr. DEW Gunasekera
COPE Interim Report 2013 – The three biggest losers, the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), Mihin Air and Ceylon Fisheries Corporation (CFC) accumulated losses amounting to Rs 9.7 billionduring 2013.
COPE 2014 – The COPE report listed a series of major transactions with inadequate accountability.
No investigations were conducted to find out how they lost so many billions of public funds and why there were inadequate accountability.
Is it fair and reasonable to assume that the public funds had been mis-used for personal gains?
- Avant-Garde Case – Alleged Rs.11.4 billion unlawful loss to the government.
Case Ongoing against former Defense Secretary Mr. Gotabaya Rajapakse & others.
- Divi Neguma Case – Alleged misappropriating Rs.36.5 million of Divi Neguma funds.
Case Ongoing against former Economic Development Minister Mr. Basil Rajapakse & another.
- Money Laundering – Alleged involvement in money laundering amounting to Rs.45 million. Investigations Ongoing against Mr. Namal Rajapakse MP
- Distributing “Sil” Clothes Case – Alleged wrongfully spending Rs. 600 million from Telecommunication Regulation Commission during presidential election. Case Ongoing against former Secretary to the Ex-President Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse & another
- Sathosa Case – Alleged loss of Rs.50 million of public funds for deploying 150 Sathosa employees for political activities.
Case Ongoing against former Minister Johnston Fernando and others.
- Purchase of a House – Alleged illegally acquired Rs.27 million to purchase a house in Colombo. Case Ongoing against former Sports Minister Mr. Mahindananda Aluthgamage.
- Threatening and Demanding Money – Alleged threatening and demanding Rs.64 million from a businessman. Case Ongoing against Mr. Prasanna Ranatunge & others.
- Laundering Black Money – Alleged Rs.521 million ill-gotten money to purchase land. Case Ongoing against Mr. Yositha Rajapakse & his grandmother.
- Fraudulent Share Transaction – Allegedly misappropriating Rs.21 million share transactions. Case Ongoing against Mr. Udaya Gammanpila MP & another.
- SLTB Bribery Case – Allegedly causing Rs.3.2 million losses of public funds to pay the Deputy Chairman as his salary and other benefits. Case Ongoing against former Transport Minister Mr. Kumara Welgama.
The above is a small number of cases which are being investigated and filed charges against the former Ministers and MPs of the previous regime and their close relatives. Reports indicate that nearly 100 of such cases are being investigated.
According to the press reports during the presidential election campaign, one of the former SLFP ministers who is now a powerful member of the “Joint Opposition” had publicly stated “The Government is ours, the army is ours, the police are ours, therefore it is according to what we want that this election is conducted”. Was the former Minister indirectly indicating that the public funds were also their property and hence they could do whatever they would like to do without any checks and balances or accountability?
So, why the “Big Fuss” over Ravi K.’s alleged corruption charges? It appears that this alleged corruption charge against Ravi K. is no better or worse than the ongoing alleged corruption cases against the members of the previous regime.
