Shiranthi Brother Chairman Nishantha’s Girlfriend’s Phone Call Costs SriLankan Rs. 6.2 million
February 9, 2014
The phone call made by an “influential crew member” SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe‘s to get a UL flight to leave ahead of schedule, despite the fact that the aircraft was waiting for 80 Paris bound passengers to arrive from Male, Maldives has cost the national carrier a whopping Rs. 6.2 million (35,00 Euros) the Sunday Times newspaper has revealed today.
Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe’
Colombo Telegraph revealed that Chathurika Muhandiramge, a member of the UL flight crew who had ‘influence’ over the airline Chairman who is also First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s brother, called Wickremasinghe to get the flight UL 110 from Colombo to Paris to take off ahead of schedule, leaving the tour group from Maldives behind.
The Sunday Times said the misconnect had forced SriLankan Airlines to foot the bill to put up the 75 unfortunate passengers at a hotel on the night of January 25. The passengers then had to be put on a SriLankan flight to Frankfurt on January 26 and then onwards to Paris on other airlines, all at cost to the national carrier.
The Sunday Times reported that a SriLankan Airlines flight from Colombo to Paris was supposed to wait until a tour group of some 80 passengers going to the French capital arrived from the Maldivian capital of Male, but had suddenly taken off after “an influential crew member” had intervened.Read More
Basil Calls Muzammil; Jokes About Ravi K’s Cross Over
February 9, 2014 -Basil
As the United National Party’s crisis deepened late last week after the nominations process for the Western and Southern PC polls ended with dissatisfaction all around, Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksahas telephoned disgruntled Colombo Mayor A.J.M. Muzammil to ‘congratulate’ him.
The Sunday Times in its Cafe Spectator Column notes that Muzammil was perplexed by the Minister’s congratulations since he and his wife Ferouza are smarting over the Party’s decision to deny her a nomination to contest the Western PC poll from the Colombo District.
Minister Basil Rajapaksa quipped that he was congratulating the Mayor because if his wife had received nominations, the Government would have to make provision for UNP Colombo District Chief OrganiserRavi Karunanayake who would have crossed over.
Speculation has been rife that Karunanayake is poised to join the Government if he is not elevated to a position above UNP Hambantota District MP Sajith Premadasa. Karunanayake is also engaged in a long war against the Colombo Mayor. Read More
