‘Why?.... there’s only 49’ call from Temple Trees says

 Friday, 16 May 2014 

He is the owner of a well-known media institution in Sri Lanka. He has been a close friend of the president since the past. Under the perks and privileges given by the government to owners and heads of media institutions, this media institution owner has been given by the president, without tender calling, a certain project in the eastern province. The project is to take place under three phases. The agreement between the two is that the president gets Rs. 50 million from each phase as his share.

On that agreement, the media institution owner recently met the president personally and handed over 50 bundles of cash, each worth Rs. 01 million. With a smile, the president accepted the money with both hands, and after a short chat, the media institution owner said good bye to the president and left for home.

No sooner than he set foot at home, he got a call to his mobile phone from the president, who asked, “Why?..... There’s only 49. Didn’t you bring after counting?’ shocked by the call, the media institution owner responded, “No sir. I brought directly from the bank. Two persons counted there while I watched. Please count again…”

Without changing his clothes, the media institution owner waited for another call from the president. After about 10 minutes, the president called and said, “OK. The 50 is there. Don’t you know, my wife is not good at maths.”

Our president will be 69 this November. Without a doubt, he is amassing this wealth for his next generation. Two other world leaders who had amassed wealth for their next seven generations come to mind. One is Saddam Hussein of Iraq. His sons Uday and Qusay pre-deceased him. The other is Libya’s Muammar Al Qaddaffi. Most of his family members are buried underground or are incarcerated in prisons. Many others have become helpless in foreign countries. History books are there to read and to learn from them, not to fill book shelves.