Expose: Media Heads To Bow; Rajapaksa Gives 547 Journos Interest Free Car Loans
January 20, 2014
The Media Minister’s leaked files now in possession of the Colombo Telegraph show that the Rajapaksa regime has granted 547 journalists and media workers a Rs. 1,200,000/- of interest free government loans from a state bank to purchase car or van, where the interest will be paid by the Treasury using tax payer money.
Irida Lankadeepa Editor Ariyananda Dombagahawatte receives papers for the car loan from President Mahinda Rajapaksa at Temple Trees
Journalists from virtually every mainstream media in the country with the exception of the Sunday Times newspaper have accepted laptops and car loans or both from the Rajapaksa regime.
Editors who received both a free laptop and the interest free loan are; Ariyananda Dombagahawatta, NM Cassim, Gamini Sumanasekara, Narada Nissanka, Thushara Gunaratne , Sisira Paranatanthri, Mohan Lal Piyadasa, Dinesh Weerawansa, Bennet Rupasinghe, Indrani Pieris, Daya Lankapura, Mahinda Abesundara and Sundara Nihathamani De Mel.
Ravaya features editor Wimalanath Weeraratna, Divaina News Keerthi Warnakulasooriya and Neth FM Kulasiri Kariyawasam also received a free laptop and the interest free loan.
Members of the Free Media Movement, CJ Amaratunga, Ariyananda Dombagahawatta, C. Dodawatta, Bennet Rupasinghe and Daya Lankapura and the president of the Muslim Media Forum NM Ameen also applied and were received the interest free loan.
After a series of exposures by the Colombo Telegraph about the serious conflict of interest issues and violations of standard journalistic ethics, the BBC World Service ruiled that some of its Sinhala Section journalists have breached journalistic ethics and violated BBC’s code of conduct by applying for interest free vehicle loans offered by the Sri Lankan Government. The BBC has also stated that the staff in breach of the code would be sent for retraining.
But the BBC journalists who were granted the loan never withdrew their applications, the Colombo Telegraph learns. “They can go to the recommended bank and get the loan anytime” secretary to the Media Ministry Charitha Herath told Colombo Telegraph.
Last month Colombo Telegraph exposed the full lists of the journalists who received a free laptop from the regime. Today we are able to publish the list of media bosses who applied and were received the interest free loan. We will soon be able to publish all the names of the journalists who received the interest free loan.
