Video: People, instead of kissing & welcoming fraudsters, should rally to build government without corruption
“What the people in our country should do is not cordially receive or embrace the thieves who stole people’s assets. The people in this country should rise against such a political culture. They should raise their voices against frauds and corruption; against plundering people’s assets. Our country needs a political culture that opposes malpractices. Hence, this tragic-comedy that is surfacing in the country in connection with frauds and corruption should be halted. We believe that the people should come forward to change the culture where lives of the majority of the people have been ground to a quid but a small ruling minority indulges in frauds and corruption and leads luxurious lives after plundering public money,” said the Leader of the JVP Anura Dissanayaka. He was speaking at a press conference held at the head office of the JVP today (11th). The Member of the Central Committee of the JVP Parliamentarian Dr Nalinda Jayatissa was also present.Speaking further Mr. Anura Dissanayaka said, “With the resignation of Ravi Karunanayaka from the ministerial post a new dialogue has surfaced. While Ravi’s party says his action was the characteristic of good governance the defeated Rajapaksa group says it is a victory for them.
Any perpetrator would not become innocent when he sheds clothes he was wearing at the time of the crime and puts on new clothes. Ravi Karunanayaka did not become the innocent party when the financial portfolio he held when he got involved in the bond dealing was removed from him and he was given the foreign affairs portfolio. Ravi Karunanayaka’s resignation is not a punishment for the fraud he committed. Several matters that could be held against Ravi Karunanayaka were revealed in the Commission. Ravi Karunanayaka was the Minister of Finance on 27th February 2015, the day the Central bank bond scam was committed. Due to the questionable dealing, the Prime Minister appointed a committee of lawyers to carry out an investigation. Also, COPE commenced its investigation in August 2015. Arjun Mahendran was accused of the illegal transaction and his son in law Arjun Aloysius was accused of earning illegal profits from the transaction. Ravi Karunanayaka, as the Minister of Finance, has obtained a monthly rent of Rs. 1.45 million from the accused. It is definitely a bribe taking.
Also, it was revealed in the commission Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayaka had sent a dateless letter to Arjun Mahendran stating the necessity of funds. This letter was with Arjun Mahendran. The letter is evidence to show that Ravi Karunanayaka used the ministerial portfolio to protect Arjun Aloysius. Also, Ravi Karunanayaka bought the house he had rented out for Rs.165 million. The money he received for this had been kept in a safe without any document. There is no receipt to show that it had been deposited in a safe. There is a doubt that this could be black money. As such, Ravi Karunanayaka could be tried under the bribery act, criminal ordinance and money laundering act. Hence, we ask the government to take legal action against him immediately. However, according to speeches made by government ministers after Ravi Karunanayaka resigned would not indicate such action would be taken against him.
Those in the government say Ravi’s act could be taken as an example. We tell the children and the people in this country not to take Ravi Karunanayaka as a model. Made to resign after stealing, due to the opposition of the people and when a no-confidence motion was due is not a characteristic of good governance. The sole intention of the Presidential Commission was to investigate the bond scam. Ravi’s exposure was a bi-product. Ministers of the government found fault with the officials of the Attorney general’s Department representing the Commission. The intention of some of the ministers was to prevent the real culprit from being exposed. Arjun Mahendran, who is charged with the offence is a bosom friend of the Prime Minister.
The PM, from the very beginning, attempted to protect him. He attempted to continue with him as the Governor of the Central Bank. As such, the Prime Minister has a direct link with the dealing. As such, we ask the officials of the Commission to cast away government’s sordid attempt but to act without fear to expose all perpetrators. We tell the government not to threaten officials of the Commission in an attempt to sabotage investigations.
Also, as soon as this government came to power the Avant Garde dealings of the previous government came to the limelight. Several ministers of the current government attempted to protect those who were involved in the illegal dealing. Thilak Marapana, then minister in charge of Law and order, instead of taking the side of the police, defended the Avant Garde fraudsters. As a result he had to give up his ministerial portfolio. After some time the government made him the Minister of Development Assignments. Now he is to fill the vacancy created by Ravi’s resignation. Is appointing Avant Garde defender to replace bond scam defender an act of good governance? The government is in crisis as to how it could appoint a minister who is not a thief. The people too have a responsibility here. They should strive to build an administration that would not steal.
After Ravi’s resignation Rajapaksa gang of thieves have become very joyous and make cheerful banter. This gang of thieves too acted in the same manner when committing frauds and corruption. When Rohitha Abeygunawardene was summoned by the Bribery Commission to investigate illegal amassing of money, he gets admitted to hospital claiming he was stung by a snake. What did Mahinda Rajapaksa do? The Director General of the Bribery Commission was removed and was transferred to Kurunegala. A white van was sent to abduct the Chairman of Kolonnawa council. The OIC Kolonnawa who investigated the incident was transferred. This is the history of Rajapaksa’s gang of thieves. During Rajapaksa’s ‘black decade’ the officers who investigated frauds and corruption were transferred, harassed and threatened. It is the same tragi-comedy play acted by Ravi Karunanayakas that was acted by Yoshitha Rajapaksa, Namal Rajapaksa and Wimal Weerawansa of the Rajapaksa gang of thieves. Hence, people in our country should realize that a gang of thieves who plundered the assets of the people had been in power in the country for the last 70 years.
Where do these fraudsters attempt to hide now? In Ravi Karunanayaka’s statement, he quoted from Lord Buddha’s teachings. He used certain incidents from Jesus Christ’s life to conceal his stealing. He also used quotations from Quran to hide his crime. Despite not mentioning the name of former Cuban Leader Fidel Castro, his quotations were used to conceal the stealing. Where does our country move towards today? Rascal and thieves are using Lord Buddha’s teaching, Jesus Christ’s teachings and quotations from Quran to conceal their crimes. These thieves adorn themselves in white and worship the Bodhiya and the Viharaya. They also worship various gods to conceal their crimes. We ask all religious leaders not to allow thieves who plundered people assets to use religion to conceal their crimes.
Also, all these thieves hid behind their wives to conceal their crimes. At times they hide behind their children. They use the sympathy of our people to conceal their crimes. When the thief is summoned to courts, FCID, Bribery commission or Presidential Commission the wife, adorned in white, shed tears; or the child hangs on to the thief’s hands. The news is created stating the child got sick. The fraternal and family bonds are auctioned by these fraudsters. This is the tragi-comedy Weerawansa play acted. It was the same tragi-comedy that was acted when Yoshitha was remanded and Shiranthi was summoned. It is the same tragi-comedy that is acted when Ravi Karunanayaka makes his statements. The sensitiveness of our people is being used by the thieves to conceal their crimes.
Our people should realize what is being stolen by these fraudsters. When our children are sick and hospitalized there is no bed to lie down; there is no medicine. The school doesn’t have necessary facilities. It doesn’t have proper sanitary facilities. There is no process to dump garbage. There is no proper road network in the country. There is unemployment and malnutrition in the country. These fraudsters steal the funds that could be used to provide facilities for the people. However, it is the very people who are being robbed kiss the hands of the rogues who steal their assets. When Namal Rajapaksa is released from remand prison he comes on the roof of a vehicle just like Rajinikanth acts in a film. When Johnston Fernando is taken to the prison people surround the prison bus. There are Buddhist priests who chant suttas from ‘Thripitaka’ and a set of people who embrace him when Ravi Karunanayaka had to resign as a result of committing a fraud. We should realize the deep crevice our country has been pushed into. There is a state created where ‘pirith’ thread is tied to thieves who are imprisoned and a glass of milk is offered to thieves who get hospitalized after being charged with crimes committed. When children see these, what would they gather? It would not be a surprise if they choose stealing as their future profession.
What the people in our country should do is not to cordially receive or embrace the thieves who stole people’s assets. The people in this country should rise against such a political culture. They should raise their voices against frauds and corruption; against plundering people’s assets. Our country needs a political culture that opposes malpractices. Hence, this tragic-comedy that is surfacing in the country in connection with frauds and corruption should be halted. We believe that the people should come forward to change the culture where lives of the majority of the people have been ground to a quid but a small ruling minority indulges in frauds and corruption and leads luxurious lives after plundering public money.”
Responding to a question from the media Mr. Dissanayaka said, “Ravi Karunanayaka could be absolved by history only if the masses in this country become slaves. As it is the place Ravi Karunanayaka would get is the garbage pit. He would be absolved only if a set of slaves that kiss Ravi Karunanayaka’s hands and hind part are created in the country.”
