Gota’s Ex-Security Personnel’s Company Can Invest Funds Without Treasury Approval – COPE

A Company under the Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, Gotabaya Rajapaksa can invest funds without obtaining the Treasury approval, a parliamentary committee said.

The Committee on Public Enterprises said in its latest report to the Parliament that the ‘Rakna Arakshana Lanka Ltd.’  runs under the Ministry of Defence and Urban Development ‘being a private company, it was not required to obtain Treasury approval and the problem had been regularized by obtaining the approval of the Board of Directors.’

The Committee enquired about the category of personnel who were recruited to the Company.

Under the subheading “Comments & Decisions of the COPE” the report said;  “It was stated that the ex- security personnel those who have retired or legally resigned from the Sri Lanka Armed Forces and Police Service were recruited and they were being paid a salary in addition to their pension.”

Gota to Killi’s rescue!

 Wednesday, 27 November 2013 

Defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa has ordered that no state or private media should publish the news pertaining to the Matara magistrate’s court having issued notice on November 25 to Sirasa Media Network owner Killi Maharaja to appear before the court on December 11. 

General manager of Sirasa Media Network Shevaan Daniels has spoken to media institutions with which he is on friendly terms and requested that the news be not carried.

But, the journalists had disregarded the request and electronic media has carried the news.

Angered by that, the defence secretary has spoken to all media institutions and ordered that they should not carry the news that Killi Maharaja has been ordered to appear before courts.

All media had complied with the order, except for ‘Lakbima’ newspaper owned by Thilanga Sumathipala, which has safeguarded its integrity. Since the appointment of senior journalist Saman Wagaarachchi as its editor, ‘Lakbima’ has been following an independent editorial policy, which has put the Rajapaksas in a rage. At the recent meeting with newspaper editors, the president has patted the ‘Lakbima’ editor on the back and said with all smiles, “Your paper is now more hard-hitting than before.”