Sunday, June 12, 2016

Lasantha murder suspects behind assaults on Upali & Keith

Jun 12, 2016

It is revealed that suspects of the Lasantha Wickremetunga murder also had a hand in two more violent attacks on prominent journalists.

They are linked to the violent attacks on former Chief Editor of 'Rivira' newspaper - Upali Tennakoon and his wife as well as to the attack on former Chief Editor of 'The Nation' newspaper - Keith Noyer.

This has been revealed in the CID investigations conducted over Mr. Wickremetunga's murder after the investigation team had looked into whether the suspects were linked to other crimes.

According to reports, probe teams say that such investigations have proven to be difficult as unsolved murders, abductions and assaults during recent times have been planned meticulously and various groups used for spying, following and assaulting were prevented from keeping connections with each other.

However, as the assailants of Mr. Wickremetunga have been identified, the identities of those who ordered the attack will be revealed soon, reports add.

However, authorities have been unable to arrest them as the Army has not provided details of these suspects.

PARANAGAMA COMMISSION TO BE DISBANDED NEXT MONTH

12/06/2016

Presidential Commission to Investigate into Complaints Regarding Missing Persons (PCICMP) will be disbanded on July 15, 2016.

The move comes as cabinet had last week approved the establishment of an office for missing persons, which will help several thousand families of missing persons across Sri Lanka to ascertain the fate of their loved ones, and the circumstances under which they went missing.

The Chairman of the PCICMP, Maxwell Paranagama told The Sunday Leader that following the establishment of the office for missing persons, the PCICMP will be disbanded after submitting its final investigation reports to the Presidential Secretariat. “We have so far investigated into 6,500 inquiries of missing persons who were affected by war during the period of June 10, 1990 and May 19, 2009,”

Paranagama said.

He further stated that officers will be appointed to the office for missing persons and the PCICMP is unaware of who they are and what their duties will be on finding the victims who were abducted from their places of residence or had disappeared from their places of residence.

The permanent office will ensure that measures are taken and recommendations made to find information on missing persons and Sri Lankans will have no more fear of being disappeared into thin air.

by Hafsa Sabry
SL

The economy: A practicable approach

Educating and persuading the public in economic hard times

The economic team: Time to wake up gentlemen!

by Kumar David-June 11, 2016, 6:45 pm

Last week I reflected on a realpolitik approach to one of our two intractable problems, the national question, and suggested that a frame of mind of pragmatic compromise provided it met certain minimum conditions was a way forward. One of the condition is that certain minimal provisions be worked into the new constitution, if not explicitly at least in layered detail, to ensure reasonable devolution of power even if the regressive word unitary is nailed to the masthead. My second condition is that the compromise meets the concept of a ‘transitional programme’, that is it is a first step of a forward movement. The retrogressive provision granting Buddhism (or any religion) special recognition, instead of a clean secular constitution, I suggested, could be eroded by making it a ceremonial cavalcade with negligible clout or financial underwriting. That essay kicked off some debate; fine, let it move on. I have little more to add at this stage and will move on to the second intractable problem: gloomy and scary economic prospects.

Reams of stuff have appeared from civil society, think tanks, and economic gurus drenched in statistics laying bare Lanka’s alarming economic plight. This saves me the need to repeat statistics, except once or twice and I will proceed to highlight the concerns in words in point form. The pity is that all these learned and conscientious reports do not make suggestions more concrete than truisms like "the government must prune down the fiscal deficit", or quaking in front of debt statistics. Yes of course that’s all true but it’s time to spell out a sharply defined strategy. What I say below may be a point of view but it’s better than no point of view about what actions to take. Let me enumerate the ailments of the economy; there is pretty universal consensus on these points.

a) The fiscal deficit (government recurrent expenditure in excess of revenue) is out of control; it’s a recipe for bankruptcy. The annual deficit may be as high as 6 or 7% of GDP by the end of 2016 fiscal year and by any measure of good governance that’s ‘no, no’ territory.

b) The trade deficit is almost as large as exports, very roughly they are each $10 billion a year, or the import bill is $20 billion; double exports. That’s one reason why Lanka is sinking ever deeper into dollar (foreign exchange) debt.

c) Debt is a big headache. This government is said to have taken on $7 billion in two years and nearly half of this is short-term debt falling due later this year. Foreign indebtedness stands at 80% of GDP and this is not good. The figure has been floating around the 80s or high 70s for 10 years. The government says it is drowning in debt trying to service the improvident loans taken by the Rajapaksa regime to build airports in the wild, empty concert halls and pointless towers pointing at the clouds. This is partly true, but if the trade deficit is a Himalayan $10 billion, then cumulative debt will inevitably rise.

d) The public service is chaotic, literally. Most state enterprises make big losses and produce little; many are looted by ministers and/or their political buddies. Nobody, and here I don’t blame any particular prime minister or president, has the clout to tame these feral creatures.

e) The most worrisome point is that the economy is going nowhere. What can one point to and say: "Here development is taking off; these see the shoots of growth". The lack of credible investment and visible economic expansion is depressing. The government is laid back; it does not want to soil its hands on economic action. The private sector inspires no confidence as a potential growth locomotive and foreign investment, for global reasons, has turned shy. It is only the ever ebullient informal sector that gives some cheer but even this silver lining is blemished. For reasons too complex to explore here, many categories of labour, including unemployed manual labour, is showing an unwillingness to enter the workforce. The evidence for this is anecdotal but persuasive.

This enumeration is not intended to blame this government, its predecessor, or reach back to Chandrika or JR. The blame game is important and balance sheets must be drafted; but that’s not the point or objective of this essay. Remember my title was a pledge to have a stab at practicable suggestions for moving on from where we are now. Every commentator so far implies, but nobody bells the cat explicitly, so let me say it up front: recurrent expenditure must be cut and revenue enhanced. There is no way around this logic. People beat about the push because they don’t want to spell it out explicitly: Reducing recurrent expenditure is decreasing subsidies and allowing wages to fall through the eroding influence of inflation. Raising revenue means soaking the rich and jacking up indirect taxes such as VAT. The latter is unpalatable to the public and the rich will oppose income, capital gains, luxury goods and mansion taxes. The government doesn’t want to lose ground in the public arena to the vultures of the Joint Opposition. The chattering classes weep on the shoulders of Uncle Ranil, Malik Seeya and Machan Karu to upend attempts to screw the rich even a little.

This piece up to here says nothing new, but don’t yawn, the interesting part starts now; in essays, like in sex, the best part is just before the end. I will develop two strategies that are crucial if the economy is to gain traction. The first is, yes some austerity is unavoidable but this is doable only if the people acquiesce and it is predicated on public education and mass mobilisation. But this is not something that is up the Ranil-UNP street. Consider this in the context of the Syriza and Alexis Tsipras experience. How come Greece kept trust and let Tsipras push austerity that was the opposite of what he had campaigned for previously? This was because Syriza was what it was! It had worked with, mobilised and organised people for a long time; they were ‘our guys’. When Tsipras had to capitulate to the might of Europe’s political and financial powers, the people judged that it was not a betrayal but a defeat for Greece. Syriza had fought for the people; they judged it that way.

My point is not whether Tsipras’ capitulation was unavoidable or the people’s mandate wise. The relevance to my strategic point about Lanka is this; if you go to the grassroots, explain, work with and organise people, then they will they will trust you if you say painful austerity is unavoidable. But the UNP is an animal of a different character to Syriza; Ranil and Malik picked up their economic alphabet perched on JR’s knee. Can Ranil-UNP repeat in one year what Tsipras-Syriza built over years? Can pigs fly?

You will observe that I am a pessimist on this score. Winning the trust of the people is a sine qua non if the belt tightening, needed to get past Lanka’s economic impasse, is to have a ghost of a chance. I would be pleased if Ranil, the UNP and others in the alliance including my comrades in the LSSP Majority and Bahu’s wing of the NSSP, prove me wrong. But till I see action on the round at the grassroots my congenital pessimism will stay alert.

The second strategic imperative is also not something up the Ranil-UNP street again but it is not impossible. This is how the argument goes: To be pragmatic one has to be real, that is take the facts on the ground seriously. The private sector, domestic capitalism, name it what you will, this entity is not powering ahead with investments. Money is available; banks are not squeezing big and medium size firms; a more capitalist friendly administration than Ranil’s UNP is naïve for Lanka’s capitalist class to dream about. This is fact number 1 and fact number 2 is that foreign investment is not pouring in – not only here but global investment flows have slowed down. Let’s face it (even if we have different angles on why), domestic and foreign private capital is not powering ahead with investment, job creation and business activity and economic growth.

Consequently the government is faced with the stark option that the state must assume an active and interventionist role. This goes against the mother’s milk of ‘Leave it to the private sector; the private sector is the true engine of growth’ mantras on which Ranil-Malik-Eran-Harsha have been nurtured. Now they have no option but to concede that things are not going that way. The State, the Administration, leaders (our Lee Kwan Yews and Deng Xiao Pings) have no choice but to be pulled by the ear, taken by the scruff, and kicked on the bum into adopting an interventionist economic stance. Then the question is can this government jettison its mother’s milk and turn interventionist? Difficult but not impossible; when their backs are to the wall, as we say in Tamil, "kuthiraiku kundi kanjal vaikalum thinum" (when the going gets tough a horse will even eat straw).

A clarification before I call it a day. An active role for the state does not mean more state enterprises and loss making corporations. It means hands-on promoting investment, leading from the front and getting involved, sponsoring joint ventures (it would be smart to palm off lossmaking junk state enterprises on China, but will it swallow the bait?) and pushing initiatives like ECTA without capitulating to greedy doctors and misguided nationalists. So let me conclude by reminding readers that I am not talking about socialism or the revolution; my practicable doable project is within the grasp of this centrist government.

Buddhists! Wake Up To Protect Novice Monks!!

By Tiran Kumara Bangagamaarachchi –June 11, 2016

Tiran Kumara

It was heard last week that a novice monk had been sexually assaulted and admitted to the Matara general hospital. But the temple, the hospital, the police and all other responsible authorities took very good care to cover up the incident. Newspapers that usually sensationalize the incidents of sexual assaults on women and children were totally silent on this act of violence. Why?

Perhaps, it is better for the young monk’s anonymity not to get into a media uproar. Yet, total silent is not healthy either. While the Buddhist temples are known to restrain and tame sexual desire, there are also numerous stories about sexual misconduct at temples and their environs. Unless those ‘misconducts’ reach the point where the victims are required to hospitalize, such incidents get hidden behind the loud sounds of “sadu” in ritual chanting. The criminals hidden under yellow robes continue to find the safety of those sacred robes.

One exits the Southern Express Way at its end at Matara, to little village called “Godagama” in which the temple in question is located. The temple is Paththarama. This monastery, to be sure, is not responsible for a shameless crime committed by two monks and a layman. The abbot and the other monks residing at the temple should not be held exclusively responsible for this. Yet, incidents of this nature that routinely take place bring so much disgrace upon Buddhist temples. Such criminal acts must not be covered up by the sound of ‘Saadu’, the ritual chanting. Sin is sin no matter where it happens.

Story of the Hospital

The novice monk, 14, was violently raped and a hospitalization could not be avoided. On May 16th he was brought to the Matara general hospital. The doctor at outpatient unit diagnosed that the young monk had been sexually assaulted. Since he was referred to the Unit on sex-related illnesses, the hospitalization was temporally avoided. An important medical officer at the hospital has his ‘private practice’ joint in front of the temple, Paththaramaya, and it is quite natural that he wanted to ‘help’ the temple. That was another reason as to why the young monk was not admitted to the hospital right away on the first day.

Even though the young monk was sent back to the temple, there was nothing the temple could do. Even at the risk of being ashamed, the monk was eventually admitted to the hospital. Then, the news reached the ear of the monk’s mother.

The Mother’s Story

“This is my elder son. I have two other children. My husband does not live with us. It is difficult for me to raise three children all by myself. That is why I gave my son away to the temple. I thought he would be fed well and educated. But a mother cannot bear what has happened to him.”

“I was told by the temple that my son was in the hospital but didn’t tell why. That was a Sunday. May 22nd. I went to the hospital on that very day. What had happened to him was something difficult to talk about and also to look at. My poor child! Three people are involved in this crime.”

“I told the police about this. But the police took three days to record my complaint. The chief monk at the temple pleaded me not to make the incident public. He said he would kill himself if I did. It was I who should commit suicide. Anyway, when they couldn’t avoid it any longer they[accused] handed themselves to the police on May 29th. They had been remanded by the courts. On June 6th, they were brought to the courts again. We are poor people. We cannot fight legal battles with powerful people. But my child needs justice from the courts because we are powerless people.”

Bond fiasco and confronting the Auditor General: Monetary Board should be more mindful of its obligations

Monday, 13 June 2016

COPE directing the Central Bank to cooperate with AG

A recent news item has reported that the parliamentary watchdog, the Committee on Public Enterprises or COPE had summoned the Central Bank Governor and his deputies on a complaint made by the Auditor General (available at: https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/bond-scam-cope-summons-arjuna-mahendran-issues-2-week-ultimatum/).

The complaint has been that the Central Bank, the operational arm of the Monetary Board which owns the Bank legally, had refused to provide the information which the Auditor General had sought for in connection with Treasury bond transactions despite repeated reminders.

The news report says that COPE members had grilled the Deputy Governor as to why the information sought by the Auditor General had not been submitted. The answer had been that the data requested had been market-sensitive and their release would have threatened the smooth functioning of financial markets.

However, COPE had not been convinced of that argument and it is reported that the Central Bank management had been given an ultimatum to comply with the request.

Denting of the reputation of the Monetary Board

There is no way to verify this news item independently since the COPE proceedings, unlike the US Congressional hearings, have not been open to the media. As such, what has been reported in the media could be hearsay.

Yet, neither COPE nor the Central Bank’s Monetary Board has disputed the news item so far. Hence, citizens are to believe that the news item has correctly reported the transaction that had transpired between COPE and the Central Bank’s senior management at the meeting under reference.

If this report is correct, this is another severe dent on the reputation of the Monetary Board which has lost it in large measure due to its intransigent action or negligence in the recent past.

Board’s intransigence in the past

‘The excreta bag hurled from the bench strikes the fan’ - “Contempt of court” - Is there anything remaining in court more disdaining than this ?

An analysis by lawyer Chandrasiri Seneviratne

(Lanka-e-News -12.June.2016, 5.20PM) During the past weekend , all the media were publishing many reports that were derogatory and disdainful of the courts . Sadly this was not because of the actions of outsiders but shockingly owing to two judges Thilina Gamage and Kanishka Wijeratne who are unfortunately intimate and integral parts of the very judiciary they represent .One of the weekend news reports described Thilina as an absconding judge and Kanishka as a bosom pal of his. Such reports of the misconduct and unprofessional behavior of judges are most vilifying and insolent of the courts ,and dents the dignity of the judiciary.

The outcome of these vilifications and insults however do not go to disgrace the ancestry indicated in the birth certificates of the judges involved , rather it only undermines and erodes the confidence and faith the public repose in the judiciary. The misconduct of the afore-noted judges has deprived the people of the only opportunity they had to control their anger by claiming ‘ okay we shall look after that in the courts.’ That is we have recourse to the courts.

That is where the crux of the issue lies.

It is unfortunate that the days when a judge himself heard the case after forcibly raping the young wife who came to get bail for her rascal of a husband , are still not bygones though it is our hope that period is a thing of the past. In other words ,after the court orders ‘silence’ those who are gracing the bench are judges like Thilina Gamages , Kanishka Wejeratnes following Lenin Ratnayakes , and Gihan Plapitiyas.

Gihan Pilapitiya recently gave a new deplorable dimension to court in relation to a letter sent by a Mahanayake requesting the controversial robbed elephant calf to be returned to the suspects .That order not only created a stir among the media but also the general public. That order was akin to an instance in which , because the kasippu that was seized by the Police were distilled for a wedding house purpose , the illicit liquor barrels seized from the Kasippu den shall be handed over back to the kasippu dealers merely based on the letter received.

An open letter to Eran

Jun 12, 2016

Dear Mr. Wickramaratne,

In your interview with the Daily Mirror newspaper on 25 May, you had emphasised that “the former Chairman and CEO of Sri Lankan Airlines had NO airline experience whatsoever”. We know that and that is why we sent them (and their Godfather) home. But please tell me, what airline experience does the Chairman that your ‘Good Governance’ Government appointed have? None. High-flying because of his Royal-lineage old-boy-network is NOT a credential.

What credential does the present CEO have to be the CEO of a debt-ridden airline nose-diving because of massive losses and trapped with thousands of employees? None. Having sat in an auto-pilot cabin for some years is not a suitable credential and neither is being the brother of a well-known member of the Royal lineage network referred to earlier.

What experience do at least three members of the Monetary Board have on monetary and economic matters to decide on the monetary policy of this country? None. The deepening economic crisis is a good indication of the ability or complete lack of it. And the one who purchased a million rupee jacket and asked the poor people of this country who will never know what a million rupees is quite apart from knowing what a jacket is, lost whatever credentials his Godfather thought he had, in a few weeks into his appointment through what is to us blatant fraud, but continues his antics and may well continue for a new term as well. A French queen was sent to the guillotine for lesser crimes about two centuries ago.

What experience of telecommunication does the Chairman of SL Telecom have? None. Being the brother of you-know-who is not a credential. What experience of insurance does the Chairman of the SLIC have? None. Being the brother-in-law of you-know-who is not a credential.

All that remains of the Budget, delivered sonorously in a six-hour rendition six months ago, are the words, “Mr Speaker…”, but that particular voice continues to spew forth equally unsustainable proposals which are blown away quicker than straw in the wind, while its owner seems to live only for photo-ops. At the end he will have only photos. And designer ties.

A young politician from the hills, who started the revolution to throw out the scum by winning a provincial election against all odds a couple of years ago, has lost his head so much since then that he is now infamous for throwing his arms and legs at other people and recently for using obscene language in Parliament.

Another one whom the public respected and expected much from, instead of blasting the wrong-doers within the Government who are betraying the voters on a daily basis, vented his spleen on a security guard who was only following orders and not permitting couples, legitimate or otherwise, at the Square. Not satisfied with that outburst, he burst out crying when launching an ambulance service. To hell with self-control, maturity and bearing: vital ingredients in maintaining respect.

We are treated to never-ending entertainment which would be funny if it is not so ill-timed, least expected and totally unacceptable. The long and short of it is, Mr. Deputy Minister, nothing has changed. If you are brave enough to now board a train or a bus, like you and your performing band of buddies did before the elections to supposedly feel the suffering of the people first-hand and show your solidarity with them, the chances are that you might meet your Maker before you reach the next halt.

You-know-who is where he is today, despite being a proven failure time and time again, because you-also-know-who bravely stuck his neck out in January 2015 to stand for what he believed in. If the latter had failed, what happened to the world’s best Army Commander some years ago would have been a teddy bears’ picnic compared to the consequences that would have been inflicted upon him, and the former would still have been what he is best at: playing snakes and ladders you-know-where.

Nothing has changed and at the rate that actions and appointments which shock the public are arrogantly shrugged off with a wink and nod, things will not improve for us citizens under Yahapalanaya beyond being given occasional sermons of pie-in-the-sky by sonorous somnambulists, about the paradise Sri Lanka will become God only knows when, and the present lot in Government will not take the five or so years the previous lot took, to outdo them both in scale and method, in looting this country.

I am a positive thinker and am a firm believer in the saying that, ‘Cometh the hour, cometh the man (or woman)’ as world history has shown us time and again. We Sri Lankans have proved many times over that we are particularly resilient, compassionate and intelligent and the day will come when an individual with testosterone will place our beloved motherland in her rightful place on the world stage.

In the meantime Mr. Deputy Minister, the only response which I could agree with was the answer you gave to the final question your interviewer asked you:

Q: Are you happy you are in politics?

A: I never ask myself whether I am happy or not. I came into politics to do what is right and I will quit at the right time.

You were a banker but you quit to become a politician to do what you think what is right. Considering how top management of banks change jobs these days and on moving on, take with them a good part of the senior management and also a considerable chunk of the business from the institution they are leaving into the one they are joining, thereby dealing a body blow to the former and another to the morale of the senior management of the latter, totally regardless of morals, ethics, and professional conduct, you may be relieved you are no longer in banking, considering your penchant for doing what is right.

Can you do so in politics, considering who you are in bed with? Time is running out fast and whatever you decide, please make sure you don’t get up with fleas one of these days.

With good wishes,

Citizen Fernando

www.ft.lk

Gangodawila judge Kanishka proves again he is uncaring , uncouth and uncultured !

-Frees culprit Thilina and remands witness who revealed the truth !!

(Lanka-e-News -12.June.2016, 6.20PM) The prime witness Dissanayake Bandarage Chaturatne Yatawara in the case against Thilina Gamage the notorious elephant rogue , who came forward to give evidence against Thilina to confirm that the verdict of Gangodawila magistrate Kanishka Wijeratne is a Kekille King’s court judgment ( frivolous and erroneous judgment) was remanded yesterday (11).

The elephant calf that was captured from the forest by ‘Ali Roshan’ after killing its mother was given to ‘Ali hora’ (elephant rogue) Thilina . It was Yatawara an innocent in this robbery whose name was used to prepare the phony files in order to show that the calf was legally owned. The fake document was prepared to indicate that this calf was born to an elephant belonging to Yatawara.

Yatawara worked as a servant in the house of a cousin sister of Thilina. Yatawara who is now working as a laborer revealed to the CID ‘ Aney Sir , I am one who hasn’t the means to feed a cat let alone an elephant . I am earning my livelihood by working as a laborer.’

In the circumstances Kanishka Wijeratne trying to remand this hapless and helpless individual who was used by Thilina Gamage to prepare the fake document, and seeking to free Thilina the elephant rogue is a most unjust action for which the retribution is nothing less than a lightning attack on the perpetrator of that injustice. If this judge who is abusing judicial powers and overturning sacrosanct justice escapes this retribution , it is nothing but a miracle.

When Yatawara was produced before Kanishka , and his lawyers were trying to request bail on his behalf , Kanishka without allowing room for that , remanded Yatawara until the 13 th while ordering that the bail request shall be made on that day.

On the 3 rd , when Thilina was produced in court , Kanishka on that day said when granting bail , the elephant calf is not part of public property. Then how come the calf became public property now when Yatawara is being remanded ?

Kanishka Wijeratne through his uncouth , unethical and despicable conduct has today again proved to what sordid level he can descend brazenly and shamelessly while wearing the professional cloak to make country’s laws and legal Institutions a mockery, and justice a travesty.

It is most reprehensible that while the verdict delivered in this case is considered by one and all as a gross miscarriage of justice, and despite the whole country opposing this for the last one week, the chief justice has not been able to take any action in this regard.

In this case , legal ethics and norms were most contemptuously cast into the dustbin by judge Kanishka who heard the case of a bosom pal of his in which the latter is the accused facing grave criminal charges. Even a Kindergarten class child can understand that these actions of an uncouth unethical judge has seriously jeopardized the sacrosanct independence of the judiciary , and portends grave danger so much so that the entire edifice of justice can collapse in the future. In the circumstances if CJ cannot perceive that this case shall be heard again from the outset , certainly this is a CJ whose headquarters are in his hindquarters.

Even when the judiciary is being disgraced and disparaged this openly and most shamelessly by its own despicable judges, and despite the reputation of judiciary being marred, while the people too are disillusioned and disconcerted over the travesty of justice, yet, if this good governance government cannot understand the damage that is being inflicted, the minister of justice who is in charge is nothing but a ponnayah (an effeminate eunuch)

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by (2016-06-12 13:00:30)

Exclusive: Basil And Pushpa Used Salawa Central Armoury To Earn Big Bucks

June 11, 2016

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s brother, Basil Rajapaksa and his wife Pushpa Rajapaksa had used the Sri Lanka Army’s central armoury located at the Salawa army camp in Kosgama as a location to earn big bucks, Colombo Telegraph can reveal today.

Basil and Pushpa

The Salawa camp and 800 houses in its vicinity were completely destroyed and damaged beyond repair in an explosion last week, including loss of lives and physical harm to many, though the numbers are yet to be confirmed.

Documents seen by Colombo Telegraph shows that the Rajapaksa duo had transported used brass artillery barrels from the north and east provinces to Salawa army camp and had them washed and resold at scrap value.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa was the Minister of Defence and the commander Tri Forces and his younger brother Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the Secretary to the Ministry of Defence whilst his other brother Basil Rajapaksa was the Minister of Economic Development.

We publish below an edited part of an affidavit of a person who was involved in the deal, since the matter is now under investigation.

1. I am ………..and I was born on ……… now living at , ……, . At the moment I am working at ……

2. In Sri Lanka I worked at …….as a Sales Director, No….., Sri Lanka, and also a Trading Broker especially for the iron in local market.

3. Somewhere around July 2010 I met xxx with a substantial business proposal. Normally he is also doing the trading business, and he is very close to the President’s brother, Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa, and his family. At that time xxx was looking for buyers for the 75,000 tons of used artillery barrels which was under the Ministry of Defence Sri Lanka. The releasing price of used artillery barrels by the Ministry was 280 rupees for 1kg, and xxxx offers that for 350 rupees per 1kg to me. This business was mainly handled by Pushpa Rajapaksa, wife of Basil Rajapaksa.

4. I started to search the buyers and I found xxxx who is doing the local iron business at the Pettah. xxxx agreed to do the business and he wants to see the goods before confirm to his buyer.

5. In the mean time I was looking for some other buyers too because of the huge quantity. And day by day the business was dragged by xxx. I asked the reason for the delay, because at the time, xxxx is pushing me to see the goods. xxxx told me that they have bring down all the goods to Kosgama Army camp from the other areas of the country and they do washing before providing to any buyers in case any chemicals have been used which will cause a future problem. Because of this issue, the goods were delayed and xxxx missed his buyer and he shouted at me. At that time I told him the process and reason for the delay.

Crisis due to impunity

A report issued by the UN during the former regime had pointed out that the criminal justice system in Sri Lanka was ineffective in combatting a culture of impunity, citing a lack of political will. Corruption therefore cannot be minimised unless there is a strong political leadership, commitment, focus and institutional support. Does the present government too continue to disburse government funds recklessly? They should also select priorities through a cycle of planning and implementation in order to maximise the effectiveness and efficiency of public expenditure

2016-06-12

Have they forgotten that they were elected to apply controls and avoid waste, errors,
fraud and corruption?
Why did PRECIFAC discontinue investigations of corruption in the Parliament Secretariat? The Commission considered the petitions received against the Parliament Secretariat and decorously decided to hold investigations before my termination from the PRECIFAC.
It was thereafter my duty to convey the decision of the Commission in writing to the Secretary-General of Parliament and the investigators for the purpose. If so, why did the commission reverse their decision after my termination?
Who stopped the investigations of the Parliament Secretariat abruptly? Could the Commission

similarly reverse the other important
investigations too?
Shouldn’t the Commission act impartially towards everybody?
Most of the issues mentioned in the relevant petitions had been previously raised in several reports tabled in Parliament by the Auditor-General. These issues were thereafter taken up at a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) too.
Do you know what transpired at the PAC meeting?
Acting Chairman Minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, having worked with him very well as the Secretary, PAC previously, when he was Chairman, I could not believe that he took up an incredible, incoherent and contemptuous position and opined that work in Parliament cannot be done efficiently unless decisions are taken to expedite action.

"According to a survey... by Transparency International (TI) our political parties, politicians, police, public officials, health, education are tainted with corruption"

‘Goya Queen’ Wagiswara carries on as Foreign Secretary and the rot continues

Jun 13, 2016

On reaching sixty years in September last year Chitrangani Wagiswara’s term as Foreign Secretary came to an end. If she had any self respect she would have left office and given the opportunity for one of her colleagues to become Foreign Secretary. The next in line to be the Foreign Secretary was much respected Foreign Service officer Jayantha Palipana. However, Wagiswara who is known amongst her batch mates as ‘Goya Queen’ (after the Goya talcum powder) for always lobbying and getting western postings had other ideas. She lobbied and got an extension upto end of May this year effectively ending the chances of Palipana becoming Foreign Secretary. She got together with Director General Overseas Administration R. L. Ratnapala and made sure that Palipana did not get a posting last year though there was ample vacancies. But knowing that she is to go home end May this year she put Palipana on the list of postings and made sure that he goes on posting in May before she completed her contract. Palipana could have been the Foreign Secretary for a few months and retire in September and go on a posting. But Wagiswara wanted to prevent Palipana from becoming the Foreign Secretary even for a few months.

Wagiswara who even by the most optimistic terms has always been known as a very mediocre and an incompetent officer started to work on her next western posting. With her attempts to go to London coming a cropper she was looking elsewhere in Europe. She successfully lobbied and got Germany. But the current Ambassador Karunatilaka Amunugama is putting up a fight lobbying very hard to remain in Germany. It was in this background Prime Minister handpicked Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Esala Weerakoon to become the Foreign Secretary. Wagiswara was chosen to replace Weerakoon.

Knowing very well that after May if she goes home she can miss her posting she started to undermine next most senior additional Secretary Rnajith Uyangoda, who is known to be a balanced and a reasonable person. She convinced Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera to extend her term until Weerakoon assumes duties to the surprise of everyone. As Wagiswara does not like to go to India this will give her time to lobby and get another western posting.

Wagiswara is doing all these undercutting activities together with Ratnapala. It was she who appointed Ratnapala as Director General Overseas Administration against lot of opposition within the Ministry. She was smart knowing that Ratnapala will join her in undercutting others as his survival depended on her. Ratnapala supported Wagiswara to undercut Palipana as he knew Palipana did not like his appointment and he would not survive under Palipana if he became the Secretary. Ratnapala was also more than happy to undercut Uyangoda as he has problems with him. Ratnapala has a cheaqured history as a juvenile missing going to school for sometime as he was involved in a chili powder grinding business and trading in jewellery. To his credit he mended his ways studied and made it to the university. During Sajin Vaas time he carried tales against his colleagues and undercut them. Knowing that after Wagiswara goes he will have a tough time in the Ministry and to have an access to Samaraweera he has become buddies with Thusitha Halloluwa, the self important Coordinating Secretary of Samaraweera. He is well known to be carrying tales and going to Halloluwas room many times a day. Halloluwa who has been sidelined by the government and is not taken notice in the Foreign Ministry has welcome Ratnapala and has started interfering in Ministry work supportef by Ratnapala and Wagiswara much to the disgust of Ministry staff. Halloluwa has gone to the extent of accosting Ministry officers in the corridors of the Ministry building and questioning them on postings. Ratnapala is banking on Halloluwa to get him a posting.

Lanka News Web reliably understands that Wagiswara and Ratnapala are the ones supporting the appointments of political kith and kin to Embassies. The level of interference by Ratnapala and Wagiswara in postings has resulted in one member of the transfer board already resigning and the Chairman having second thoughts about continuing. Cabinet papers are prepared in secrecy by-passing the transfer board and other officials. Wagiswara and Ratnapala are welcome to give the exact number of political appointments made under the Secretaryship of Wagiswara with their qualifications from Heads of Mission down to KKS level so people will get a clear picture how widespread the political appointments have become. So much for Yahapalanaya people expected.

At least 21 killed in air strikes on rebel-held Idlib

Responsibility for carrying out attack on market and residential area of northern Syrian city not yet known

Syrians help an injured man after reported air strikes on the rebel-held city of Idlib (AFP)

At least 21 people have reportedly been killed in air strikes on a market in the northern Syrian city of Idlib.

Sunday 12 June 2016

It was not clear who carried out Sunday's raids on the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, which reported the number killed.

Idlib is controlled by a coalition of rebel groups, including the al-Qaeda affiliate Al-Nusra Front and Ahrar al-Sham.

The air strikes came a day after a double bomb attack outside a Shia shrine near Damascus killed at least 20 people, a monitoring group said. The official SANA news agency said a suicide bomber and a car bomb struck at the entrance to the Sayyida Zeinab shrine, which is revered by Shias around the world.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group that relies on reports from sources in Syria and the region, said at least 20 people were killed and more than 30 wounded in the blasts.

SANA gave a toll of at least 12 dead and 55 wounded.

The shrine, around 10 km south of the centre of Damascus, is heavily guarded by pro-government forces but has been the target of several militant attacks, including those claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group.

IS claimed Saturday's attack via its Amaq news agency, saying they were carried out by three suicide bombers.

At least 280,000 people have been killed and millions displaced since the Syria war started with the brutal repression of anti-government protests in 2011.