Bathiyutheen sells ‘war crimes’ to extract funds

SUNDAY, 20 JULY 2014

Sources say a serious diplomatic muddle has occurred due to the move by Minister of Industry & Commerce Rishad Bathiyutheen to get more than Rs.180 million in foreign aid, claiming that houses have to be built for Muslim refugees in Northern and Eastern areas who have been displaced for 22 years.

Sri Lanka has been diplomatically embarrassed when a cabinet minister claims that there are refugees in Sri Lanka despite the government emphasizing that resettlement process has been completed and there aren’t any refugee camps in the country at present.

It is said that a documentary film prepared to confirm that there are refugees in Sri Lanka and sent with the letter forwarded to claim foreign aid would have an unfavourable influence on the investigations that are to be carried out regarding alleged war crimes and human rights violations against Sri Lanka. Western diplomatic circles are paying a close attention regarding this say reports.

The Minister who has requested aid from Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Kazakhstan has already got approval for US$1.4 million (Rs.180 million). Rs.150 million that has been made available by Bahrain has been already received say reports.

Normally, foreign aid for development work of the government is obtained through Department of External Resources under the Ministry of Finance. However, Minister Bathiyutheen obtaining such aid directly is a serious matter say political analysts.