Sri Lanka High Commission in UK - A scandal den?

Tuesday, 19 May 2015

Just after the news that former Minister of the Consular Section of the Sri Lanka High Commission in the UK Sepala Ratnayaka has disappeared without returning to Sri Lanka and is wanted by Interpol, Lanka News Web reliably learns that the rot set in at the High Commission runs deeper.

Former Deputy High Commissioner of Sri Lanka to the United Kingdom who was an octogenarian political appointee has been involved in activities what may amount to human smuggling. He had issued officials notes to the British High Commission in Colombo deviating from the normal practice to help to bring known persons to the UK without informing the administration section of the High Commission or the Foreign Ministry. Some of these people illegally stay in the UK and claim asylum or apply for visa. In one incident he has issued an official note to the British High Commission in Colombo requesting the issue of visa to the sister of his secretary. Usually a Sri Lankan Embassy does not issue an official note to a Foreign Embassy in Colombo. It is Foreign Ministry which issues an official note. In this incident the secretary has not made a request for an official note from the Ministry or from the High Commission. The note was issued in August 2014 just before the former Deputy High Commissioner relinquished his duties and also just before the Secretary was to return to Colombo in end September 2014. So going by the time it can be seen that there was no reason for the secretary's sister to come to UK when the secretary was to return to Sri Lanka. The sister has overstayed and now gone missing.

The former Deputy High Commissioner is an asylum seeker in the UK. Later he sought a job at the Sri Lanka Embassy in Bangkok lobbying former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and then at the Sri Lanka High Commission in the London on the request of Dr. Nonis. The former Deputy High Commissioner was supervising the administration and purposely prevented the implementation of a proper system to avoid unauthorised movements of vehicles to facilitate the political high-ups. He made sure that the High Commission vehicles were used to transport the items to Heathrow to send them in the Sri Lanka Airline to please Nonis and Rajapaksas in order get his term at the High Commission extended. The former Deputy High Commissioner owns a house in Harrow. He rented his own house and lived in a house rented by the High Commission in Wembley. While holding UK passport he claimed diplomatic immunity using the Sri Lanka Diplomatic passport.

The former Deputy High Commissioner has been assisted in these activities by a senior career female diplomatic officer who was also a very close confidante of Sepala Ratnayaka. She has helped Ratnayaka to disappear in the UK. After the former Deputy High Commissioner left, this female officer has helped his secretary to bring down the sister and also for the secretary to get an get an extension. Later the sister of the secretary went missing and it was reported to her. However, she purposely delayed the investigation and reporting to Foreign Office of the UK and the Foreign Ministry in Colombo regarding the disappearance. It is well known that people are willing to spend large amounts of money to obtain visa to the UK.

Although she finds it difficult to speak or write in English using her husband’s contact, who is a car sale businessman, she has managed to go on 'good' postings. She manipulated and got a posting to an East Asian country so that her husband can do his car sale business. It is said that during her posting the husband was doing a roaring car sale business sending cars to Sri Lanka using her influence of working in the Sri Lankan Embassy. She was later recalled in 2009 because during the visit of a VVIP she was unable to organise the visit properly and the VVIP was body searched. She skilfully placed the blame on the Ambassador who was on prior approved leave and made sure that he will become the scapegoat for the blunder made by this lady. Soon after she managed to get a posting to London.

The Foreign Ministry true to its form is fast asleep. Whether political appointees or career diplomats those who don't do their job properly should be exposed.