Reconciliation in smithereens

The situation with regards the provincial politics of the Eastern province is a very delicate but promising one. The Eastern Provincial Administration is the grandest of grand provincial coalition administrations, bringing together the SLMC, the TNA, the UNP and the SLFP into the Administration, in perhaps what may be a model and a possibility nationally at a future date.

by Harim Peiris

( June 1, 2016, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) The recent verbal fracas involving Eastern Province Chief Minister and a Navy officer, a Captain who is the commander of the Vidura Naval Training camp, has resulted in unfortunate tensions. The unnecessary has occurred and created a situation where saner counsel needs to prevail and the wider national interest in post-war reconciliation needs to be preserved.

The incident itself was a very local affair and that it caught national attention shows the power of social media and the growing influence of social media as an agent of disintermediation between traditional elites and the public. But for social media, the genial and savvy Governor of the Eastern Province would have been able to smooth over a small incident at a local function in Trincomalee. However, the amateur recording went viral on social media and we have a national incident.

Provincial authorities

The event itself, a ceremony at the Sampoor Maha Vidyalaya, a provincial school was organised to hand over new computers to the school. It was organised by the Navy through a corporate donor and schoolbags and other educational materials to the students. The school which was occupied and used by the Navy during the war years had only two weeks earlier been handed back to the provincial authorities due to the untiring efforts of the Governor. The Navy had a laudable objective to hand the school back to civilian authorities better than they took it over, complete with computers and equipment for the students. Hence as donor coordinator, they played the central role in organising the equipment handover ceremony.

The verbal fracas itself has been referred by both Chief Minister and Navy to the President and Prime Minister, as the political leaders of the country and the former also being the commander in chief of the Sri Lankan Armed Forces.

However, the incident demonstrates how fragile Sri Lanka’s post-war reconciliation is in the former conflict areas, the ease with which tensions can arise between ethno religious minority political leaders in the North and East and Sri Lanka’s largely mono ethnic military deployed there and the issue of civilian space which has been inadequately addressed, in the case of the East, a decade after hostilities ended there in 2007 at Thoppigala.

Decade-long civil conflict

The Northern and Eastern provinces of Sri Lanka are the only provinces where ethnic and religious minorities comprise a majority of the population of the two provinces and it has been the site of our bitter, polarising and decade-long civil conflict.

Accordingly, the challenge of healing the hearts and minds of Sri Lanka being inclusive and tolerant begins in the North and East. It is this factor that President Sirisena refers to very often at appropriate forums, where he stresses the need for reconciliation.

The provincial council system is at the heart of Sri Lanka’s efforts to devolve power to the majority of the ethnic minorities in the Northern and Eastern Provinces and to be inclusive in governance. To correct what LTTE suicide victim Dr. Neelan Tiruchelvam so eloquently defined as the “anomaly of imposing a mono ethnic state on a multi ethnic polity”.

Accordingly, it is in Sri Lanka’s national interest of post war reconciliation and the Sirisena administration’s objective of reconciliation that the provincial administration be strengthened and the civilian space in the North and East be expanded. Clearly the Eastern Province’s Chief Minister felt that his provincial administration had been ignored in a school function organised by the Navy, in a school which came under the Provincial Council’s purview and that he personally and his Education Minister from the TNA had been insulted at the event. It is clear in retrospect that had clearly not been the intention of the Navy in general and not even of the officer concerned. However, it is also clear, that in organising the function, the Chief Minister, the Provincial Education Minister and the provincial administration had not been given what they believed was their due place.

Eastern Provincial Administration

The situation with regards the provincial politics of the Eastern province is a very delicate but promising one. The Eastern Provincial Administration is the grandest of grand provincial coalition administrations, bringing together the SLMC, the TNA, the UNP and the SLFP into the Administration, in perhaps what may be a model and a possibility nationally at a future date. The inclusion of the TNA in the Administration is a significant addition from the National Government at the Centre. Supporting and managing this delicate situation in the Eastern Province, is the astute Governor Austin Fernando, himself a former Defence Secretary, besides many other senior roles and a trusted confidante of the President.

The TNA only barely lost the last Eastern Provincial Council, at the last provincial elections, the entire province by just 6,200 votes and that too in Ampara, where it also previously managed to elect a Sinhala MP on its ticket to the last Parliament. Elections to the Eastern Provincial Council are due next year in 2017 and the TNA finds itself in good stead to capture power in the Eastern Provincial Council, requiring only a small increase in the Muslim support it garners. The resolute and principled position adopted by TNA leader R. Sambanthan in the face of Mosque attacks during the days of the Rajapaksa regime, has held the TNA in good stead in the East. It is important that sane counsel prevails and a small incident be not blown out of proportion, in a manner detrimental to the national interest of post-war reconciliation.

SRI LANKA WAR CRIME PROBE: PRESIDENT & PM AGREE ON LOCAL JUDGES

01/06/2016

( Killed in detention by Sri Lanka military: Naked standing man is Col. Vasanthan, A LTTE commander from Trincomalee who fought in the Vanni in 2009. Photo courtesy of British Tamil Forum)

by Shamindra Ferdinando/ The Island.

President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe were of the opinion that the proposed judicial mechanism to inquire into alleged wartime atrocities would be handled by local judges, the media was told yesterday.

Plantation Industries Minister Navin Dissanayake emphasised that the government was addressing the issue in consultation with its international partners, a clear reference to those countries which relentlessly pursued an international probe during the previous administration.

Minister Dissanayake was responding to a query by The Island at a special media conference held at the Government Information Department to explain the circumstances leading to President Maithripala Sirisena’s participation at the recently concluded G7 summit in Japan. President Maithripala Sirisena’s delegation to G7 included Ministers Mangala Samaraweera, Ravi Karunanayake, Malik 

Samarawickrama, Mahinda Amaraweera and Navin Dissanayake Minister Dissanayake was flanked by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake and Development Strategies and International Trade Minister Malik Samarawickrema.

SLFP General Secretary and Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Development Minister Mahinda Amaraweera left immediately after addressing the media, thereby preventing him being asked to clarify a statement in respect of war crimes allegation directed at Sri Lanka. Minister Amaraweera declared that the much talked about war crimes investigation was no longer an issue. The Hambantota District MP said that the Geneva probe no longer posed a threat to the previous political leadership.

When The Island pointed out that the Geneva-based United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) would receive an oral report regarding progress made since the adoption of a Resolution on Sri Lanka on Oct 1, last year and a comprehensive report March next year, Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake alleged that the country wouldn’t have been in a predicament if not for commitments made by the then President Mahinda Rajapaksa and External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris to the international community.

Minister Karunanayake castigated the former President and External Affairs Minister for causing irreparable damage to Sri Lanka’s foreign policy.

Minister Samarawickrema explained measures taken by the UNP-SLFP coalition to address accountability issues. Minister Samarawickreme expressed the belief that the Geneva issue could be resolved.

Asked by The Island whether G7 could help Sri Lanka against the backdrop of six of its members (US, Canada, UK, Italy, France and Germany) strongly backing war crimes probe during the Rajapaksa administration, Ministers Karunanayake, Samarawickreme and Dissanayake explained Sri Lanka’s new relationship with Western powers. The ministers emphasized the pivotal importance of pursuing what Dissanayake called an all inclusive foreign policy.

Four of the G 7 grouping namely the UK, Germany, France and Italy are pushing for war crimes probe on behalf of the EU.

The Island also inquired about action taken by the government to disprove unsubstantiated accusations regarding the massacre of over 40,000 Tamil speaking people during the final phase of the offensive on the Vanni east front during January-May 2009.

Minister Dissanayake paid a glowing tribute to Japan for not voting against Sri Lanka at the UNHRC during the previous administration in spite of it being with the US led Western block. Referring to South Korea and India voting for US Resolution against Sri Lanka during the Rajapaksas administration, Minister Dissanayake described successive Geneva debacles as foreign policy failures.

Minister Dissanayake said the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe administration wouldn’t seek ties with any government at the expense of another. Cabinet colleague Samarawickrema twice visited Beijing to strengthen ties, he pointed out.

Minister Karunanayake explained that the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government’s policy in respect of securing foreign loans vis a vis the Rajapaksa administration. Referring to recently obtained 38 bn Yen ODA loan from Japan as well as other Japanese assistance, Minister Karunanayake compared it with that of Chinese loans. The minister emphasized the importance of Sri Lanka being given a 40-year period to pay back the loan under conditions extremely favourable to Sri Lanka.

The Island

Godfathers who safeguard corrupt State officers’ mafia exposed herein..! -120 organizations that installed good governance ready to face challenge..!!

(Lanka-e-News -31.May.2016, 11.30PM) 120 Civil and trade union organizations have jointly come forward against the government service corrupt mafia that is posing threats to the government . The Mafia which is shielding  the corrupt government administrative high ups from legal  action being filed against them is also intimidating the government with its members  threatening to resign if cases  are  filed against the crooks and the corrupt in the public administrative service.

It is the view of the joint civil and trade union organizations that if the government of good governance which was installed with their support yields to the intimidations and threats of the government administration mafia , that will militate against good governance .The 120 organizations are hence  readying to stage a joint rally to repulse these threats  and declare  a war against this traitorous mafia.

The Attorney General (AG) gave instructions to the police to arrest the following :

Ms. Hema Dharmawardena  , the secretary of the ministry of economic development of Basil Rajapakse 

Bhashwara Gunaratne , former chairman  , and Ranasinghage Senmasinghe , Don Chandrasiri and Amitha Kithsiri Ranawake who are ex  Directors of the Tourism promotion authority .

The AG gave instructions  on the 26 th of May  that all of them be arrested and produced before court in connection with the misuse of funds amounting to Rs. 6 million approximately set aside for tourism promotion . These were funds misused  to boost the image of the Rajapakses  instead.

Citing the grounds that if the government officers are taken into custody it will be impossible to carry out duties freely in the government service , a letter was addressed to the president by 139 officers including Gamini Seneviratne the secretary of  the PSC , Ranjith Ariyaratne the chairman of State administration officers association and Dadalage the  secretary of  Public administration  ministry  . Following this letter  the arrests of the corrupt officers who allowed the criminal Rajapkses to cheat on the public funds in many millions were not arrested.

These 139 officers are bootlicking stooges and lackeys of the Rajapakses no doubt. In other words these officers are indirectly insisting that the corrupt State officers  be permitted to rob without let or hindrance. But it is noteworthy , If these officers are not there the State administration is not going to  collapse , in the manner these crooks and the corrupt  are trying to portray. 

There are 810 statutory  corporations and Boards in SL. Say , if in each of these entities there are about ten personnel with official powers, the total number of State administrative service officers is about 8000 .That is ,they are not of the administrative service  nor are they of the security divisions and universities. Hence just because 139 lickspittles and lackeys of the Rajapakses leave the services , the government service is not going to collapse.

Lanka e news inside information division had tracked down who are those in this mafia team operations. The individual  in the vanguard of these operations is none other than Gamini Senarath the ex chief of staff of ex president Mahinda Rajapakse. During their reign , about a gang  of about 2000 comprising  of close friends was appointed to the nerve centers of the State.  Those in this 139 group that is indirectly opposed to eradicating corruption  are them . 

Apart form Gamini Senarath the chief , the other godfathers in this mafia are : Abeykoon Bandara , Chulananda Perera , Jagath Chandrasiri who we exposed earler in our report  , together  with Anusha Pelpita , Vasantha Hettiarachi , Prasanna Ginige , Pradeep Ratnayake , Lalith Weeratunge , Ranjith Ariyaratne , Gamini Seneviratne and J. Dadalage.

So it is this abominable  despicable mafia that is obstructing the interdiction of these corrupt State officers against whom cases are filed , and are desirous of  re instating them via camouflages and subterfuges. It is this same criminal mafia that is threatening to resign if cases are filed against the corrupt State officers who are facing indictments.

No political authority shall in fear of this mafia  come before  the  A.G., or the police and obstruct the arrests. If that is possible , there exists no difference between the previous lawless regime and the present good governance government. If the law is to be enforced duly and without impartiality , no politics should come into play in the affairs of the AG and the police.

It is this same unlawful mafia , that is insisting in addition ,  the surcharge should  be under the State officers in violation of the Audit Act , and not under the auditor general , thereby  befouling everything. This is also another ploy of theirs. By insisting the surcharge should be within the purview of the State officers what they are implying is : ‘allow us to rob, ’ and it is for no other  reason.

My we  issue a stern  notice to this State officers’ mafia  which  was planning and plotting to promote its pernicious  cancerous growth for the last  ten years like the corrupt brutal lawless Rajapakse regime that kept the masses trampled under its despotic boots for a decade  , that the  civil and trade union organizations  120 in number in its entirety  which threw  out the corrupt regime lock, stock and barrel in order to install the good governance government  is ready to  uproot the mafia cancer once and for all. Let us warn that while the mafia operators are just  a handful ,  90 % of the population are   against corruption and crookedness irrespective of who  the culprits  are. 

Corrupt and crooked State officers’ mafia ?  or pro good governance  government masses?   Okay let us get into  the ring to see who will win ? 

Always right is might and that wins – that is  good governance ,   whereas  Mafia is a blight that can only  engender  destruction on itself and others ! It is therefore a loser !
 

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by     (2016-05-31 19:33:53)

Sri Lanka’s Credit Crunch

The island is paying a steep price for a turn against democracy.

May 30, 2016

Sri Lanka sought a $1.5 billion bailout from the International Monetary Fund last month after saddling itself with billions of dollars in Chinese loans. This is a reality check for reformers who hoped that last year’s election of the liberal-minded Maithripala Sirisena as President would alleviate fiscal woes.

Sri Lanka’s economic growth slowed to 4.8% last year after averaging near 7% under former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Investors are running for the exits, selling $577 million in rupee bonds in the first quarter. The central bank depleted foreign-exchange reserves by a third to keep the rupee from plunging, while exports and remittances dropped.

Much of the blame lies with Mr. Rajapaksa. He appointed three of his brothers to head important ministries while leading the finance, defense and public-works ministries himself. Together the brothers controlled 70% of Sri Lanka’s budget. A Rajapaksa crony directing the central bank fueled public spending by printing money and driving inflation to around 15%.

China proved a willing partner on the Rajapaksa family’s designs. Eager for access to Sri Lanka’s ports, Beijing filled the funding void left by the U.S. and longtime ally India during the island’s decades-long civil war. In 2007, Mr. Rajapaksa signed a $1.5 billion deal, amounting to nearly 2% of GDP, to construct an airport and port near his hometown of Hambantota. Chinese companies China Harbour Engineering Company and Sinohydro Corporation built the main port facilities.

But the Chinese credit came with high interest rates and minimal safeguards against misuse. Sri Lankan officials now say that the Hambantota projects began without sufficient analysis or competitive bidding. The airport stopped offering regular flights three years after opening, and the port now sees less than one ship per day. Other projects include a $21 million national performing-arts theatre, $104 million telecommunications tower and a $1.4 billion port city in Colombo. Chinese loans total $8 billion, representing nearly 10% of GDP.

After the opposition accused Mr. Rajapaksa and his family of receiving kickbacks, allegations they denied, voters drove him out of office last year. Now the authorities say they are trying to retrieve billions of dollars in Rajapaksa wealth abroad.

All of this means that the current administration has inherited more rot than it initially suspected. Sri Lanka’s foreign debt tripled to 94% of GDP from 2010 to 2015, and interest payments on Chinese debt alone cost $30 million per year.

The new government wants to privatize some state-owned enterprises, which hold an estimated $15 billion in liabilities, and slash subsidies for electricity and fuel, as it recently did for flour and fertilizer. It also wants to simplify the tax system by eliminating exemptions, holidays and special rates, while implementing information technology to curb discretionary tax measures.

But Colombo’s decision to raise the value-added tax to 15% from 11% will hurt businesses. A better alternative is tackling government corruption and stopping tax evasion.

The lesson from Sri Lanka’s problems is that rule by strongmen like Mr. Rajapaksa may accelerate growth in the short term but have terrible consequences later, as the bill for grandiose projects and nepotistic business practices comes due. There’s a warning here for other states seeking to exchange democratic accountability for the promise of authoritarian efficiency.

The Resolution To Establish A National Government

By Neville Ladduwahetty-May 31, 2016

The Hansard of September 3, 2015 under the heading "DETERMINATION UNDER THE CONSTITUTION: NUMBER OF MINISTERS OF NATIONAL GOVERNMENT", cites the following Resolution:

"Whereas the United National Party which obtained the highest number of seats in Parliament has formed a National Government, Parliament determines in terms of Article 46 (4) of the Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka that the number of Ministers in the Cabinet of Ministers shall not exceed 48 and the number of Ministers who are not Cabinet Ministers and the number of Deputy Ministers shall not exceed 45" (p. 97).

An intense debate followed the tabling of the above resolution. The position of the Government was that according to Article 46 (4) when a "… recognized political party or independent group which obtains the highest number of seats in Parliament forms a National Government", the Constitution authorizes Parliament to determine the number of Ministers of the Cabinet of Ministers, the number of Ministers who are not Cabinet Ministers and the number of Deputy Ministers. And because it is Parliament that makes such a determination a challenge would amount to a beach of Parliamentary privilege (The Island, May 26. 2016).

Judging by the variety of opinions expressed in Parliament the single question that dominated the debate related to the criteria needed to qualify for the formation of a National Government. The opinions of some were that since Article 46 (5) states: "National Government means, a Government formed by the recognized political party or the independent group which obtains the highest number of seats in Parliament together with the other recognized political parties …" a National Government must include all recognized political parties represented in Parliament. Others maintained that since the Article 46 (5) specifically does not state that a National Government means a Government formed together with "all" recognized political parties or the independent groups it could mean one or more recognized political parties. Yet others were insistent that Parliament should seek an opinion from the Supreme Court not only because of the lack of clarity but also because of the implications involved.

NEED for INTERPRETATION

During the debate The Hon. (Dr.) Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe stated:

"When we obtained that interim order, there had been a lengthy debate in the House. After considering all the legal provisions and submissions, the Hon. Anura Bandaranaike delivered a historical, landmark judgment that when it comes to affaires which are to be regulated within the House itself, it is purely a matter to be determined by the Hon. Speaker; it is not a matter within the purview or the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court" (The Hansard, September 3, 2016, p. 110).

Full Story>>>

Absence of Tamil Cops is Main Reason for Rise in Crime in Jaffna

By P.K.Balachandran-Wednesday, June 01, 2016

COLOMBO: The alarming rise in crime in  Jaffna peninsula since Eelam War IV ended in 2009, is attributed to a variety of factors, but one of the principal causes appears to be the absence of Tamil-speakers, especially ethnic Tamils, in the local police force, says M. A.Sumanthiran, Jaffna  district MP and spokesman for the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

Describing the situation  as being "very serious" , Sumanthiran said that unless Tamils are recruited at all levels, crime detection will continue to suffer grievously and result in further widening the "trust deficit" that has always existed between the Tamils and the powers-that- be in Colombo.

The trust deficit could be seen very clearly in the statement issued by the Bishop of Jaffna, Rev.Dr. Justin Gnanaprakasam, on the crime situation in the northern peninsula.

The Bishop wondered if the increasing  incidents of robberies and street violence involving gangs armed with axes, swords and machets, and the surge in youngmen taking to drugs and alcohol, reflect a "scheme" to destroy Tamil society and culture.

The Bishop was pointing an accusing finger at the Central government in Colombo and its agencies, the police and the armed forces, without naming them.

He was voicing a conspiracy theory popular among Tamils even after the draconian regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa was replaced by a liberal one headed by Maithripala Sirisena in January 2015.

Sumanthiran, however, does not go along with this anti-government conspiracy theory. He told Express that the root cause of the rise in crime is the near total absence of Tamils in the police force.

"Crime detection and prevention is impossible without familiarity with the local lingo.Recruitment of native speakers of Jaffna Tamil is therefore a must. Government is to induct 400 Tamils into the police and their training is over, but actual  induction has hit a hurdle.I met the Ministers of Law and Order and Justice to get it cleared at the earliest and they have promised to do so, " Sumanthiran said.

Meanwhile, the situation in Jaffna is deteriorating. A gang in Nallur recently tried to break into a house, but when the attempt failed, it senselessly attacked people on the street some of whom had to be hospitalised.

"To my knowledge there are eight or  nine areas in the peninsula in which such gangs operate.People do not come to the rescue of the victims for fear of being the next to be targeted," said CVK.Sivagnanam, Chairman of the Northern Provincial Council (NPC).

"The fact that these gangs are let off on bail easily, and they continue with their criminal activity while on bail, has given rise to suspicion of collusion between the police and the gangs," he added.

The Northern Province Chief Minister C.V, Wigneswaran and the Government Agent in Jaffna (Collector) N.Vedanayagan, have discussed the matter with the police top brass in Jaffna.The Bishop of Jaffna struck the right note in his statement when he called for active and widespread civil society participation in ensuring public security.

National crimes in disaster management 

May 31, 2016

Reports reaching us confirm that politicians and the officials are illegally misappropriating the billions of grants and the machines donated to identify natural catastrophes by the local and foreign organizations. The officials of the department said if the institute was able to utilize those equipments and finances properly the current destruction could have been minimized. The disaster management centre was started following the Tsunami destruction in 2004.

Although there was three phases of the project started in 2014 to identify prior catastrophe situations and despite records indicated that Rs. 2.718 billion has been spent in the accounts of the disaster management center to buy necessary equipments it was unable to locate the equipments bought. Meantime the equipments obtained under the Nederland’s International Center for Emergency Techniques (ICET) project those equipments has come to a stage that it cannot be further used. The 3rd phase has been suspended without conducting an investigation why low quality equipments were imported.
 
Although a tsunami warning unit was fixed at the disaster management center, it was unable to function despite connecting and networking that with the Padukka center.
 
A sum of Rs. 43 million euro’s were taken as a loan from the Nederland’s for this project and the balance money was spent for the political campaign of the former president and the remaining money was spent to construct bridges and drains of the then ministers connected to the disaster management. There are financial frauds alleged to the secretary of the disaster management and although an investigation is conducted by the FCID, despite two previous ministers held responsibility in the then regime are involved in the current good governance the investigations have been halted. Meantime under the UNDP, a disaster management project was started with a sum of US dollar 2.5 million from 2010 to 2013. Under the project in order to construct 100 displaced camps in the north east large tents, beds, mattresses, bed sheets, generators, solar power systems, household equipments, telecommunication systems, mobile toilets and many thousands of disaster helping equipments were presented but all that has been disappeared.
 
We would be ready to reveal many more frauds and corruptions connected to the disaster management center and disaster management ministry in the future.

Ranil’s bad luck with Eastern Navy Command

2016-06-01

The Navy in the Eastern Province seems to present a very bad omen to Ranil's Government. Ranil's Government in 2002 collapsed because of the Eastern Navy leadership. This time, a massive problem had to be faced because of injustice done to Ranil's Government as well as to a Navy Official of the East. That is, the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province berating a Navy Officer of Trincomalee and insulting him in public because he had not been invited to a function at a school in Sampur.

Now, the Mahinda-friendly faction has used this to create a rift between the Maithri-Ranil Government and the Army. Public opinion is being built up against the Maithri-Ranil Government by the Mahinda-friendly faction organizing protests in favour of the Navy Official whom the Chief Minister berated, in his village and other areas as well. Those who are thus organizing protests are people who created opposition against Muslims across the entire country during Mahinda's Government. They are attempting to, through this incident, bring back to the stage, anti-Muslim sentiments.

What comes to mind when we see this incident is how, the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga used the Navy in Trincomalee against the ceasefire brought about by Ranil's Government in 2002. Chandrika obtained a report from the Chief of the Navy in Charge of Trincomalee then, Wasantha Karannagoda, that the setting up of Tiger camps around Trincomalee was a threat to national security. It was Mahinda who intervened to prepare this report. Mahinda toured Trincomalee and obtained this report and gave it to the media. The SLFP-JVP Alliance then used this report and built up anti-government sentiments across the entire country. Finally, based on this report Chandrika decided to take over the Ministry of Defence.

Today, Mahinda-friendly factions are trying to create anti-government sentiments across the island through the incident between the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province and the Navy Officer. Mahinda who said in the morning that he will cooperate with the government to provide relief to people affected by the floods, in the evening, issued a statement against the government, based on the incident involving the Chief Minister of the Eastern Province. What was stated therein was that there is a conspiracy afoot to disgracing war heroes who saved the country. Actually it was Mahinda himself who disgraced the Navy by handing over Yoshitha to them.

Great Britain Youth Officers' Training Course

Yoshitha who joined the Navy on 14 December 2006, exactly two weeks afterwards, that is on 1 January 2007, left the country to participate in the Great Britain Youth Officers' Training Course.

While Senior Navy Officers were questioning how, Yoshitha who joined the Navy just 14 days before, was given the opportunity to attend a training course in Britain the story that was spread around was that he had obtained a special scholarship. However, it was revealed only after Mahinda's defeat that a sum of Rs 6.2 million was spent by the Navy for the British Course for Yoshitha. This discovery was made through a report issued by a committee appointed by the Navy Commander to inquire into Yoshitha, subsequent to his father's defeat. He completes his British training course and returns to Sri Lanka on 7 December 2007.

That was the time when the war in the North was flaring and thousands of bodies of Army, Navy, and Air Force members arrived in Colombo in coffins. Yoshitha who came to Sri Lanka in December 2007, stayed in Sri Lanka only for a short period of five months. On 15 May 2008 he once again went abroad to study for the Sub-Lieutenant Technical Course. He was abroad until October and then returned to Sri Lanka in October of 2008. While there were secretive whispers regarding his trip abroad among the Navy staff, the story that was spread around was that he was once again awarded a special scholarship. However, the committee appointed by the present government has discovered that the Navy had spent a sum of Rs 5,337,600.70 for Yoshitha's training course. It has not been reported that Yoshitha who arrived back in the country in October 2008, never went to the war fields in the North or the East. Once the war ended, on 11 November 2009 he left for Ukraine for a special officers' course.

The sum spent by the Navy on this was Rs 3, 773, 800.76. On 7 March 2009, Mahinda Rajapaksa at the Trincomalee Navy Camp presented Yoshitha with the award for the best Midshipman. He was presented with this award for the honourable service rendered by him to the Navy. He was also presented with the award, the Sword of Honour. The website of the Defence Ministry stated that, the arrival of Yoshitha's parents to give away this award which is presented to great heroes who dedicated themselves to saving the nation and the race, to their own son, was a discerning event. This award had been presented to Yoshitha Rajapaksa based on the instructions of the Commander of the Three Forces, Mahinda and the then Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, deriding the innocent members of the Navy in villages who sacrificed their lives in the war and who became disabled.

This is the biggest insult to the Navy made by politicians. However, the most unfortunate thing was that the media was scared to talk about it then.

If you put the devils at the wheel those can only drive government to hell

-Three devils of the administrative service named - Corruptions Watch

(Lanka-e-News -31.May.2016, 1.45PM) Following the outrageous appointment of most infamous notorious corrupt Anusha Pelpita as the additional secretary to the ministry of Home affairs of minister Vajira Abeywardena it has become necessary to center discussions in a direction in which hitherto the country did not focus. That is , the attention of the public has been attracted to the rule of most corrupt officers who are unconscionably and shamelessly carrying on their tasks without getting eradicated or uprooted via  good governance administration nor through Sakra rule. These are the infernal devils driving the government to hell !!

Although the base conduct and lawlessness of politicians may be tolerated on their lack of education , cursed birth and innate nature , the unscrupulous, treacherous and perfidious activities of so called government officers who have secured high government positions’ after passing competitive exams cannot be pardoned. These are officers who have passed degrees out of public funds only to become political pimps to serve the corrupt purposes and purses of evil politicos , when they should be truly and honestly serving  the public to whom they are deeply beholden.  Therefore they cannot be permitted to misuse public assets and resources under any circumstances , nor can they prostitute their official positions for political and personal gains.

This report aims at highlighting , though these administrative officers are wearing a ‘white band’ and are trying to show a clean slate they are truly most unscrupulous lackeys and lickspittles of self fattening politicos , and who have therefore transformed the past pristine pure dignified administrative civil service into an obnoxious corrupt service abounding with rascals and scoundrels. Hereunder are some striking examples that deserve to be brought within the government’s surveillance net…

Abeykoon Bandara the present secretary to the President- 

Under the previous Rajapakse corrupt despotic regime , he was a leading ‘bath gotta’ (self fattening opportunist).He was one of those culprits who was seen deeply sorrowing over the defeat of the Rajapakse regime after taking  lodging at the Temple Trees  on the day of last presidential elections until the following dawn. But  mysteriously and mischievously became the secretary to president Maithripala Sirisena on the following day.

This Abeykoon who is over 60 years old is best noted for his worst wasteful ways in  the administrative service  , and sadly does not have even a basic knowledge of English essential as an officer of the administrative service. The only (dis)qualification he has is , the friendship he had with M.K.D.S Gunawardena of the same village in  Kanthalai , Trincomalee who renounced his position to come out with president .

He is presently   carrying on the tasks which Gamini Senarath was discharging under ex president Mahinda Rajapakse. After appointing two most notorious corrupt crooks now under him , to   the Customs and Motor vehicles department (RMV), which are most infamous for bribe taking and corruption ,Abeykoon is weekly amassing huge sums of money through those officers , about which putrid activities the senior officers of the administrative service are well aware.

During the period when  Abeykoon functioned as the secretary of public administration a circular was issued by him naming  the government departments that are well and widely known for bribery and corruption as those deriving ‘benefits’ for the public service. Though in such a department an officer can function for a  maximum period of 5 years, Abeykoon was working in the Immigration and Emigration department  for 8 years. However after becoming  the secretary of  Public administration he issued a strict advisory code for other employees that he /she shall only work in a department for a maximum period of 5 years.

Customs Director General Chulananda Perera…

Chulananda Perera after working in the Immigration and Emigration department for about  12 long years , and as an assistant (close sidekick)   of Abeykoon ,he was transferred out. Being of the same corrupt  category of  Abeykoon ,,eyeing the corrupt RMV he crept into the transport ministry. Having failed there ,  he was targeting the post of Controller , Imports and Exports. Thereafter when  he failed in that attempt, he wormed his way into the presidential secretariat in order to grab the post of Director General Customs- reasons are too obvious!

His first attempt at the target was obstructed by the officers of the administrative service through the action taken by the prime minister(P.M.)

Subsequently Chulananda’s efforts made through Finance Miniser Ravi Karunanayake proved successful. In the first week of his appointment as the Director General , Customs, by  manipulating  a reduced appraisal on hundreds of Land cruisers  and levying  Rs.1.6  million per Land cruiser instead of Rs. 5 million as duty per vehicle engendered  a loss of many hundred millions of rupees to the country. These vehicles were released directly to the importers themselves.

Chulananda who lectures on ‘’positive thinking ’  uses that to  think only of  wealth and affluence however earned, chooses to serve only in Institutions of the government where tthere is a high tide of underhand cash transactions . His positive thinking is stinking so strong  that it is only leading to ‘country’s sinking’

RMV Commissioner Jagath Chandrasiri

Before Vajira Abeywardena appointed Pelpita as the additional secretary, during the time when Abeykoon was the secretary of the public administration , it was Jagath Chandraisri , a most corrupt officer in the administrative service , cum most bootlicking stooge of Abeykoon was the additional secretary .However , his greed is so enormous for filthy lucre that he  demoted himself to become a Motor vehicle Commissioner to swallow the RMV wholesale.

Under tthe previous Commissioners , the RMV was to some extent in a state of improvement .The present minister of administration Ranjith Madduma Bandara who was the minister of transport under the 100 days interim government after appointing Jagath Chandrasiri  the  rascal of an administrative officer , made the RMV a paradise for crooks ,brokers ,the  corrupt , and ravenous crows to the detriment of the country and nation.

The President , and the Prime Minister ….

If the government Institutions are to be restored to a state of good and proper administration , it will be best if these ghosts and apparitions which have possessed the Financial and administrative epicenters  are probed thoroughly  in order to investigate the assets they have acquired  and illicit earnings they have made via the public service 

'Corruptions Watch' 
Translated by Jeff

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by     (2016-05-31 08:24:55)

Customs donate Rs.2mn worth Sandalwood to ADC





2016-05-31

Sri Lanka Customs today donated Rs.2 million worth of confiscated sandalwood logs to the Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation (ADC) for manufacturing medicine. 

Customs Director General W.A. Chulananda Perera told those gathered at the handing over ceremony that the Sandalwood logs weighing nearly 500 kilos was valued at two million rupees 

“The Sandalwood logs were among those seized last year at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA), the Harbour and other exit points by officers of the Customs Biodiversity Cultural and National Heritage Protection Branch,” Mr. Perera said. 

He said the donation coincides with World Environment Day in June. 

Sri Lanka Ayurvedic Drugs Corporation Chairman Lal Samarasinghe said the Corporation manufactured drugs for local use and often found it difficult to obtain the proper raw materials. “This important donation of sandalwood will help the Ayurvedic Drug Corporation to continue manufacturing medicinal drugs without delay,” he said. (Chaturanga Pradeep) 

Anusha Palpita removed from Home Ministry post

May 31, 2016
The Public Services Commission (PSC) has decided to remove Anusha Palpita from the post of additional secretary to the Ministry of Home Affairs, effective immediately. 

The Secretary of the commission, Gamini Seneviratne, stated that according to the Establishment Code a person with an ongoing case with regard to allegations of criminal act, bribery or corruption cannot hold a position in the public service. 

The Ministry of Public Administration had informed the Public Service Commission (PSC) last Friday regarding the matter and the commission met today to reach a decision.

Accordingly, steps were taken to suspend Mr Palpita pending the findings of the court case. 

 The move comes amidst an outcry from several civil society groups against the decision to appoint him to the ministry despite indictments filed against Palpita at the Colombo High Court over misappropriating funds for the distribution of Sil Cloth during the previous administration. 

 Home Affairs Minister Vajira Abeywardena had insisted that Mr. Palpita was appointed by the PSC and was transferred by the Public Administration and Management Ministry to the Home Affairs Ministry during the recent floods.  

 Palpita and former presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunga were charged in a case filed alleging that the TRC had spent Rs.600 million to distribute Sil Cloth to the people as part of the former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election campaign. 

  Peoples’ Action For Free and Fair Elections (PAFFREL), Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) and Campaign for Free and Fair Elections (CaFFE) were among several organizations who deplored the appointment of Palpita as Additional Secretary. 

 Mr Palpita worked with several state organizations including the Customs Department and the Auditor General’s Department prior to his stint as Director General of the Government Information Department and later Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC).  

Police snatch the posters belong to the environmentalists

May 31, 2016

Members of the Environment and Nature studies allege that the poster printed combating serious impacts of human lives caused due to irregular environment development their organization sticking was snatched away by the Walasmulla police.

The organization started a poster campaign around the country on the 29th night to raise public awareness of the environment destruction. Officers of the Walasmulla police who visited the place environmentalists who were sticking these posters has threatened the environmentalists and kept them under custody for half an hour.

The police who released the environmentalists later have detained the posters by force. The police has not given a specific answer when questioned why the posters were detained but instead threatened the environmentalists and has demanded ransom. The environment and nature study centre vehemently condemns the irresponsible act of the Walasmulla police who threatened the environmentalists ho voluntarily campaign for the protection and the destruction of the environment.

No anticipatory bail for Elephant rogue judge ! Nothing to bar him from being arrested – Magistrate

-First time in SL’s history a judge hid to evade law !

(Lanka-e-News -31.May.2016, 11.30PM)  The notorious robber judge Thilina Gamage better known as Elephant rogue  who is a disgrace to the judiciary including himself , and is now evading arrest after kicking the laws into the dustbin filed  an anticipatory bail application  in  the Gangodawila magistrate court yesterday (30) . The magistrate Kanishka Wijeratne while postponing the hearing to Thursday said , there is no bar to the arrest of Thilina.

Prior to hearing the case , the magistrate inquired from the Attorney General’s (AG) department counsel whether there is any objection to his hearing this case. Lanka  e news over a period of time had been reporting that since Kanishka is a bosom pal of rogue Thilina , the former hearing this case can be influenced  by  vested interests , and can be an issue .

The State counsel representing the AG stated it is not his objection that matters , rather it is for the magistrate to   decide whether he should hear or withdraw from the case. Subsequently , Kanishka himself heard the case.

When  he inquired whether a re presentation must be made in this case , the AG’s department explained  anticipatory bail application is not being taken up , and the trial alone shall be heard. The AG’s department pinpointed , in a Public property case , anticipatory bail cannot be granted.

The lawyer for Thilina  Gamage made a request to grant his client an opportunity to surrender to court. The magistrate in reply said , since there is an order given by court already to appear before the CID , Thilina can make his appearance there. The CID said , he is in hiding and he is  to be arrested.

The magistrate who did not grant anticipatory bail postponed the hearing in respect of the application while stating  there is nothing to  bar the arrest of  Thilina.

Meanwhile , against the unlawful and disgraceful actions of Thilina Gamage , a wave of bitter resentment and anger   is spreading among the legal fraternity . It is their view , it is most deplorable that a judge himself had stooped to this lowliest level to undermine  the sacrosanct legal maxim ‘ everyone is equal before the law.’ H e has insulted the whole judicial sphere , they pointed out.

This shameless robber judge Thilina Vincent Sulochana Gamage alias Thilina Gamage  the Elephant robber was ordered to be present at the CID on the 25 th of May, but he went into hiding on the 24 th night . This was the first time in SL’s history a judge pulled the wool over the eyes of the law and went into hiding . It is 7 days as at today since he hid. 

Based on reports reaching  Lanka e news inside information division , there  had been many cases heard in courts against Thilina Gamage in the past , but using the name Sulochana Vincent  he had suppressed the cases. Judges and lawyers have helped him in those instances, it is learnt . Details of these lawlessness  shall be revealed shortly. 

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by     (2016-05-31 22:21:18)

Five underworld figures arrested over Dematagoda shooting

2016-06-01
Five underworld gangsters, who wanted for the shootout in Dematagoda where Chaminda Jayanath alias Dematagoda Chaminda was shot and injured in a prison bus, were arrested with latest firearms and ammunitions. 

Dematagoda Chaminda, who is an accused in the killing of Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, was shot at Maligawatte by two unidentified men, when he was being brought back to the Welikada Prison from the Colombo High Court in a Prisons bus on March 02. 

Police said the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) arrested the suspects who were residents of Gampola, Negombo, Kochchikade and Naula.

 The suspects were arrested following a tipoff from underworld figure Sanka Shirantha alias Bloemendhal Sanka. 
The TID recovered a T56 weapon, two 9mm pistols, a sniper weapon and more than 2,500 rounds of ammunition.(Darshana Sanjeewa) 

Basil’s houses have other owners?

May 31, 2016

The FCID has found that the ownership of many houses and other constructions made by Basil Rajapaksa during the previous regime had later been transferred to other persons. This was revealed by architect Muditha Jayakody, who had designed the plans for the buildings, during investigations into a complaint with regard to a racket to launder black money of the Rajapaksas.

Jayakody has the ownership of a palatial house located in a 16-acre coconut plantation at Malwana in Gampaha. Basil Rajapaksa has borne full cost of its construction, while his wife had laid the foundation stone, and his daughter has done the interior decorations, the architect has revealed. Its ownership had been transferred to him from the then owner Tiru Nadesan by force, Jayakody has claimed.

 

In addition to this house, Jayakody has designed a palatial house at Browns Hill in Matara, Gampaha party office owned by D.A. Rajapaksa Foundation and other buildings, and instead of paying for them, Rajapaksas had handed over to him several major government projects without calling for tenders. Among them are the designing and the construction of the Army headquarters at Pelawatte in Battaramulla and the Army College at Slave Island.

 

There have been accusations that the Rajapaksas had seized land on a mass scale during their regime and they are now being transferred to friends or sold at low prices, reports also say.