Wednesday, August 9, 2017

What Right does Sumathipala and Yapa have to ask Ravi K to Resign?

Aug 09, 2017

Thilanga Sumathipala and Lakshman Yapa are asking Ravi Karunanayake to resign. What right do they have after supporting Mahinda Rajapakse against Sirisena.

Yapa openly canvassed against Sirisena . These are people who would not have even visited Sirisena if he was put in jail, had he lost. When Rajapaksa lost they shamefully hooked themselves on to the Sirisena Bandwagon. At the General election they both could not come into parliament. Sirisena made the cardinal mistake of bringing them through the national list. They had no value for Mahinda Rajapakse , because they had fared poorly and lost their seats.

What has this government done for nearly 3 years to prosecute the murderers of Ruggerite Thagudeen, Journalists Ecnaligoda and Lasantha Wickremathunga? The EPF frauds amounting to Billions? Why don't they shout about those investigations ? They can't , both Yapa and Sumathipala were part of that government for 11 years.

Ravi K has not murdered any one he has acted foolishly in conducting his business. He has been in business for years. The government must watch out from people like a Yapa and Sumithipala . They will be first to run to Rajapaksa against Sirisena when the tide shifts. There are numerous pictures of Yapa in the e media hugging UNP ex general secretary when he crossed over to the Rajapaksa. He would do the same in the future

Tissa, Jayantha at Temple trees

The struggle against the economic crisis is serious

2017-08-10

In a recent interview Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake -one of the leading figures who contributed to establish Good Governance in Sri Lanka-expressed the following views regarding the present political and economic situation in the country.

The JVP doesn’t wish to make the people believe that corruption can be eradicated just by removing someone
It must be noted that education in the country has led to many problems
That is why we request you to join our struggle against privatization of education while your child learns at this place
No education system in the world is oppressive like the one offered to students in Sri Lanka

Q This government is in the midst of several crises at present. The opposition values these crises like gold. But, is the present opposition taking advantage of this situation?
There is a conflict between the government which is practising their policies and the opposition which helped them to gain power. However, the political parties that form the opposition have failed to add strength to their cause due to the lack of coordination.Therefore, the biggest challenge faced by us is to bring these forces together and build a strong foundation. As you said, we are compelled to bring everyone to one platform.

But, the SLFP and UNP are focused only on their problems. That is why they can get together and govern the country. Both these parties govern the country with the objective of getting something done for themselves. See how the general secretaries of these parties were transferred.

Q There is a recognized opposition in the Parliament. The allegation levelled by the people against the opposition is that they are fighting to achieve their personal goals.
It’s necessary to mention here that there is a distortion in the composition of Parliament. This situation has been created due to some SLFP members not sitting on the side of the government. The Mahinda Rajapakse camp should be held responsible for this situation. With regard to the Tamil National Alliance(TNA) it only represents the problems of the Tamil people and the North. A national role isn’t played by them. Such a thing can’t be expected of them. That’s why we said during the elections that the problem isn’t with the government, but is due to the lack of a strong opposition.

Q Does the opposition lack effort in solving problems? Is it not in a position to solve any problem?
If we talk about our party, we have appeared for the people in the country and highlighted their problems. But, the SLFP and UNP are focused only on their problems. That is why they can get together and govern the country. Both these parties govern the country with the objective of getting something done for themselves. See how the general secretaries of these parties were transferred. Not only that, as soon as the government was formed, they created a problem regarding 48 ministerial portfolios. This issue was created in order to obtain posts and perks required for themselves.These parties only think of their survival. This issue is applicable especially to the Rajapaksa camp.

There is a legal system to punish the corrupt in the country. There are also relevant institutions which deal with corruption. But these institutions aren’t independent because they are controlled by corrupt politicians

Q As you have said, is it due to the distortion in the composition of Parliament that the politicians have forgotten the people?
See how weak they were when they were in the opposition. There was no SLFP from 1977 till the end of 1993 and there was no UNP from 1994 to 2015. Therefore, a role on behalf of the opposition can’t be expected of them. But, we have played that role throughout the time we have existed as an organization, even during this time we were banned. Even today, we hold that responsibility. We remember commencing our struggle against the Rajapakse regime in 2013. Still this government has been in power for only 2 1/2 years, so let’s be patient. We don’t oppose a regime in a haphazard manner.

Q The Rajapaksa Government was toppled as it was corrupt. There were allegations for corruption against this government at the very inception. Can’t the parties govern the country without indulging in corruption?
Corruption is part and parcel of this socio-economic structure. It’s not a mistake of one person. There is a ring present in these corruptions. In that ring there are politicians, top officers of the government to some extent, businessmen, media proprietors, Police, Army and the Judiciary. This is why the struggle against fraud and corruption isn’t that simple. They have underworld connections. These powerful forces have the possession of illegal weapons and vehicles. We don’t believe that this situation can be changed, just because there is a change of government. The reason is there is no change in bureaucracy and the political mechanism although governments change from time to time. The present government is also a partner of that ring of corruption. Just consider what happened when the previous government was toppled and a new government assumed power on January 8. A big bond scam took place even before two months could pass after the new government was formed.When the people oppose fraud, a government not only engages in fraud, but also appears to protect fraudsters.

Q When talking about bond scam, it was the JVP which took the initiative. How do you wish to see this issue conclude?
There is a legal system to punish the corrupt in the country. There are also relevant institutions which deal with corruption. But these institutions aren’t independent because they are controlled by corrupt politicians. This is why these issues drag on. It’s our responsibility to highlight these issues and form an opinion. Since power is possessed by the rulers the public can’t expect justice at any time. A thief won’t mete out punishment on another thief. Only a clean person will come forward and punish a thief. Do you expect fraudsters to be punished by the Ranil-Maithri Government? This will never happpen.

If the economy is good, then democracy can be strengthened. The depth of the crisis the country is experiencing can be seen by the manner in which The Speaker is controlled

Q The Joint Opposition has decided to bring a no-faith motion against the Foreign Minister Ravi Karunanayaka. Why is the JVP silent in this regard?
We believe in one thing. We aren’t prepared to identify Ravi Karunanayaka as the biggest fish entangled in this corruption net. Even when Karunanayaka was removed from the post of Finance Minister, there was an attempt to fabricate such a story. The JVP doesn’t wish to make the people believe that corruption can be eradicated just by removing someone. Who can give a guarantee regarding the person who is brought in place of a corrupt official? Our aim is to create discussions regarding this issue. We support bringing a no-faith motion against fraudsters who serve as ministers. But we don’t believe that the whole mechanism promoting fraud can be stopped by doing so. The Rajapakses are promoting the view that both the present government and those who were in power are corrupt and that the public should bring into power the least corrupt. We don’t launch our struggle centering one person. However, we are in the process of discussing whether to bring a no-faith motion or not.

Q Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa has said that a no-confidence motion shouldn’t be brought against one person. He wants this motion brought against the whole government. Do you support this stance?
I think the government should be toppled not by counting the number of heads.We intend building an opposition against the policies which govern politics, the economy and the society. Why is it necessary to bring a no-faith motion? Such a motion must be brought to oppose how these two main political parties have governed this country for the past 70 years.

Q Minister Kabir Hashim has said that arrangements would be made to defeat the no-faith motion expected to be brought against Ravi Karunanayake. Isn’t this proof that the government is strong?
Yes. This happens when the majority in Parliament act like signal posts; when people have no hearts nor human feelings and when people are like rotten fish. Given there is a situation like this, certain ministers can boast big. He has said that Ravi Karunanayake will be protected by the government. The present mechanism is such that thieves are protecting thives.

Q Your party has built an opinion against the SAITM by now. As a result doctors tend to stage strikes all over the country. Aren’t the people in the country adversely affected by such actions?
It’s the people who are mainly affected due to any strike. It’s necessary to be aware of people’ suffering. Even if people suffer for one day, one week or a long time it must be taken into consideration. It must be noted that education in the country has led to many problems. As a result children and the parents have become victims of these problems. They have to spend a lot of money for education. No education system in the world is oppressive like the one offered to students in Sri Lanka. This education system is created to open doors for the affluent.

Q There was an allegation against you when it comes to SAITM issue that your child is obtaining an education in SLIM and as a result the education of the other children has been hampered.
The main problem isn’t whether it’s my child or someone’s child. If a child can’t enter university after completing A/Levels he or she is compelled to enter a private university. But the government is going to stop the number of children entering the universities.That doesn’t mean that the children of the JVP Leader and the children of other party members should remain at home after A/Levels. We are continuing our struggle while being aware of this reality. Therefore, we have a balanced opinion regarding this issue.

Q The people feel that it’s an ambiguous character. Isn’t it?
Not at all. That is why we request you to join our struggle against privatization of education while your child learns at this place. We should join hands together. It is then only that a struggle will be successful. Our fight is against such a cause.

We don’t intend to establish a government by shuffling the heads in Parliament. Until recently the President had the power of dissolving Parliament. Now he has no such power

Q That struggle is very successful isn’t it? Now the Frontline Socialist Party is with you.
When we consider it as a political campaign, they are part of us. We don’t treat them as colleagues in this battle because they aren’t a fighting force. It’s the government which should build a proper stage for it. But the system followed by the government is disgusting. That is why such a stage had been built. The gazette regarding SAITM was presented by Dinesh Gunawardena. If he (Gunawardena) is against the SAITM, can Kiriella become more worried regarding this? They may share common opinions. But we must be more united in this struggle.

Q The government maintains that it’s now facing a problem after it took steps to put SAITM in order.
What have they done? There was a shop and a hospital named SAITM. The struggle was against SAITM. There was no facility for their children to receive training in clinics. Then the hospital was taken over by the government. Whose problem has been solved now? I came to know that the Cabinet had taken a decision to spend 200 million monthly regarding this. Is this how the problems of children are solved? The judiciary once gave a verdict for these studentsto go to the Homagama Hospital. This means that SAITM isn’t up to the standard of even the Homagama Hospital. We don’t know whether the President has fallen for the lies of Rajitha Senaratne. Or it could be that the president is aware of the situation and is taking us on a ride. In the history of Sri Lanka, this type of shaky solutions have never been given during such crises.

Q When the government was established, it promised to lend an ear to the voice of the protesters. But the government carries out the policy of oppression doesn’t it?
The Rajapaksas took about 7 or 8 years to establish such a system. The Ranil- Maithri Government started oppressing people within a period of 2 1/2 years. That goes to prove that there is a severe economic crisis at the bottom of all this. The struggle carried out by the people against this crisis can’t be stopped. When the government can’t tolerate such protests they retaliate. The present Government has gone beyond the Rajapakse regime in this regard.

Q The president said recently that a Government can’t be formed without his permission even if 113 ministers form a union in Parliament. Can a new government be formed like this?
We don’t intend to establish a government by shuffling the heads in Parliament. Until recently the President had the power of dissolving Parliament. Now he has no such power. The powers that the president had in taking independent decisions have now been reduced. But, the Prime Minister is appointed by the President. If the chief of the Parliament is the Prime Minister and if he is appointed by the president, it is the president who then decides whether a new government should be established. That is why the president was able to establish a government with 70 members and make Ranil Wickremesinghe the Prime Minister. President Maithripala Sirisena was able to set a good precedent regarding this on 8th of January.

Q You said in Parliament recently addressing the media that the government is adopting a dictatorial attitude in passing Acts in parliament. You said that they are carrying the Mace on the shoulders when doing so. What do you have to say about this?
Democracy isn’t a mere word in a sentence. Democracy, justice and good governance are connected with the economy. If the economy is good, then democracy can be strengthened. The depth of the crisis the country is experiencing can be seen by the manner in which The Speaker is controlled by gestures made by the hands of Ranil Wickremesinghe in the Parliament.

Q Then, what is the aim of the JVP which has such an opinion of the government?
The ruling power has to be established inevitably. We should go to a system where power has to be transferred to the grassroots. Otherwise, no change can be made even in another 50 years if the system of governance that existed 70 years continues.

Q Does that mean that in 2020, there will be a JVP stores?
We have decided to build a people’s campaign by 2020, so that the government can be toppled.We will go forward and tell the people to give us power. It’s time to drop traditional politics.

QYou are the Leader of the JVP. Are you sure that the people will give you such power?
We believe that the people in our country are emotional, but flexible.

They often attend rallies. Therefore, this crowds which attend these rallies are ‘mixed’. If there is a policy that they can believe in, they will accept it.

Ravi to quit shortly

By Akitha Perera and Upali de Saram-August 9, 2017, 10:42 pm

Following a meeting with President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday at the Presidential Secretariat, Foreign Minister Karunanayake is likely to quit his portfolio shortly, according to sources.

A government spokesman said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, too, had attended the meeting at President Sirisena’s request.

Several SLFP ministers have demanded Karunanayake’s resignation pending the presidential commission of inquiry probe into alleged Central Bank-Perpetual Treasuries bond scams. They have called upon him to quit without facing the Joint Opposition’s no-faith motion.

Minister Karunanayake didn’t attend Cabinet meeting yesterday.

At the Cabinet meeting several ministers voiced concern over the way the Attorney General’s Department had questioned the Finance Minister on Aug 2. Health Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne claimed that the Attorney General’s Department had acted differently in cases where the bigwigs of the previous administration were implicated.

Minister Senaratne said the AG’s Department should swiftly act on those cases, too.

The significance of Ms. Anika Wijesuriya’s evidence: What should we request from President Sirisena now?

Photo courtesy Getty Images, via Sri Lanka Mirror

PROF. JAYADEVA UYANGODA on 08/09/2017

As the media predicted last week, alluding to an off-guard comment made by a junior member of the Attorney-General’s legal team of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Central Bank bond scam, a star witness has turned the public discussion on high profile corruption into a major political drama.

Ms. Anika Wijesuriya, a young female entrepreneur from an extraordinarily rich business family in Colombo, has done what the Joint Opposition of ex-president Mahinda Rajapakse, or Mr. Anura Dissanayake’s radical JVP, has failed to achieve in more than two years. In half a day of evidence before the commission of inquiry, she has rocked the very foundations of the currentyahapalanaya regime. She has also changed the terms of the political debate between the government and the opposition. All these unwittingly though.

Ms. Wijesuriya’s evidence provided a detailed account of questionable financial deals between the family of Ravi Karunanayake, the former Finance Minister, and Arjun Aloysius, the young businessman whose name has figured as the main actor in the massive bond scam. To make the drama unbelievable, Aloysius happens to be the son-in-law of the Central Bank Governor, Arjuna Mahendran – son of a longstanding UNP stalwart – who oversaw all the transactions, including the bond auctions, of the Central Bank. Mahendran as well as Prime Minister Wickremasinghe, and his cabinet team of economic whiz-kids, did not seem to have any idea about the principles of conflict of interest and public trust. In the process, Ministers Harsha de Silva and Eran Wickramaratne also lost their credibility in a rather sad manner.

Karunanayake’s claim to innocence before the supreme court judges through pleading ignorance of those deals over the renting of the penthouse apartment was not only unconvincing, but also appeared to be out and out deceit. Denial has made his case most indefensible. And the yahapalanaya government now finds itself in its most serious crisis since it was formed in January 2015. The UNP, led by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, has fallen victim to its own false promise of corruption-free good governance. After Wickremasinghe went lackadaisical about the corruption inquiries into the dealings of the big wigs of the Rajapakse regime for obviously narrow political reasons, he now faces what one may call the poetic justice.

Unless Karunanayake resigns or is sacked from the cabinet, the UNP will be in deep trouble. Even then, problems for the UNP will not be over. Attempts to recover the lost moral high ground by making claims to renewed yahapalanaya spirit will not help Prime Minister Wickremasinghe or his UNP. People, even those who supported him and his government, are now totally disenchanted with his politics of deception and tactics of deceit on the bond scam. He is facing a truly serious crisis of credibility before the citizens. Re-building that lost trust between the prime minister and the citizens will require a wholesale clean-up of the UNP section of the present coalition government. That process might even put his own position at risk. Meanwhile, under normal circumstances, democratic politicians who lose public trust so badly tend to look for authoritarian alternatives. Wickremasinghe has no access to that option either, thanks to the much-maligned system of diarchy introduced by the 19^th Amendment.

Who is the immediate beneficiary of this crisis? President Sirisena or the former President Mahinda Rajapakse, or Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the JVP leader? Rajapakse is unlikely to benefit much, even though the joint opposition will try to make political capital out of the UNP’s crisis. The Rajapakse brothers and sons have not replied to the allegations of massive scale corruption in any manner that can bring back any political credibility to the former first family. The Rajapakse outfit, with its claims to having a couple of advisors or propagandists with some academic credentials, is one with no sense of self-criticism whatsoever. Sri Lankan voters are not lured by the personality cult alone. The JVP will certainly benefit from the UNP’s predicament, since their MPs have been in the forefront of the anti-corruption campaign, particularly exposing the central back bond scam.
The person who can benefit most from the UNP’s crisis is President Maithripala Sirisena. Unlike the Prime Minister, President Sirisena has not got his own Mr. Clean image badly tarnished by defending, and covering up, the misdeeds of the former Central Bank governor. But President Sirisena does not have a totally clean slate either. He is also surrounded by a bunch of people with little credibility when it comes to the question of corruption while holding political office. Some of them joined him after the December 2014 elections primarily to avoid investigations and prosecution. President Sirisena does not hide it, especially when he tells even his sympathetic critics like me: ‘an ounce of political practice is more valuable than a ton of political theory’.

It is against such a backdrop that the citizens and anti-corruption activists should show immediate interest in the meticulous investigations conducted by the lawyers of the Attorney General’s department. The latter are professionals who have not been known for being so efficient in their normal corruption investigations and prosecution during the past so many years. Yet, suddenly they have found a new spirit of professional efficiency, pride and commitment. In what particular way the yahapalanaya agenda has contributed to that change is not yet clear. However, before the investigating agencies and public prosecutors become fatigued or intimidated, citizens must ask them through President Sirisena to investigate all those whose names figure in the 5,000 odd pages of transcripts of Mr. Arjun Aloysius’s short messages, which the Attorney-General’s Department has produced before the Commission. Obviously, Ravi Karunanayake is only one among many political and bureaucratic names mentioned in those messages. Moreover, Aloysius’s phone messages with incriminating data might have a history going back to days well before January 2015, as should his Central Bank’s bond business too.

Such a demand by citizens, the media and civil society groups for full disclosure of Aloysius’s messages should not be motivated by partisan politics. It should not aim it proving the mere point that all are corrupt. Citizens already know it. What is not known are the data, evidence and concrete information how the nexus, or the unholy alliance, between the business and politics works to the detriment of democracy, good governance and public welfare. Just briefly look at Ms. Anika Wijesuriya’s evidence. She gave the Commission startling details about how businessmen and politicians make and operate mutually beneficial deals involving public money as well as hoarded private funds of enormous proportions. These businessmen and politicians are close family friends. They have close school ties through themselves, their spouses, lovers, and children.

In Ravi Karunanayake’s case, the alliance is between the alumni of the Royal College and the Colombo International School. These are not the Sinhala or Tamil speaking vernacular godayamudalalis. They are men and women from a small class of the unbelievably rich. All the men wear expensive suits. They are children of the open economy and globalization. They freely loot the public wealth as if it is their right and privilege. A new class of businessmen and politicians, with insatiable greed for accumulation of money and material wealth began to capture the state power. In the investigations into some of them under the yahapalanayaregime, the same processes and structures seem to continue with a few new names replacing the old.

When a big minister looking for a house, a businessmen volunteers to donate a rent free pent house apartment. The minister accepts all this with no idea of conflict of interest or the principles of governance he himself promoted when out of power. Obviously, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Young Ms. Onella Karunanayake is absolutely right. Why only target her father, when there are so many who have been doing it?

The citizens, the media and civil society groups must demand from President Sirisena to continue these probes through presidential commissions on previous bond scams as well. There is now forgotten Greek bond issue which the UNP leaders told us that days that it cost the country billions of rupees. Obviously, there have many Aloysius’s in Colombo who made a lot of money on bond business. And also politicians and officials who amassed ill-gotten wealth through these deals. Targeting a few individuals like Karunanayake, Aloysius and Mahendran is not enough. The entire system needs to be cleaned up. That is the yahapalanaya promise. That is what the citizens expect from President Sirisena. That is also the only way he can prove himself to be a statesman, qualitatively different from the Rajapaksas and Wickremasinghes.

Meanwhile, citizens of Sri Lanka should thank the Presidential Commission for providing a forum where concrete details about the unholy alliance between business and politics are exposed. These are details that cannot be obtained under the RTI Act. Neither have such details been discovered by the government’s investigating agencies about highly publicized corruption allegations against the powerful individuals of the previous regime. Now, citizens have some concrete data about how domains of business and politics allow themselves to be interpenetrated and how businessmen capture individual politicians, political parties and even government’s decision-making process. Now, we have a slightly better idea of how our democracy gets distorted by this business-politics nexus.

Obviously, Sri Lankan citizens can now begin to re-think their political loyalties, electoral strategies and expectations.

Ravi’s Exit Delay Shows Yahapalana Crisis

By Shyamon Jayasinghe –AUGUST 9, 2017

Shyamon Jayasinghe

I am not interested in the JO motion of no-confidence. That is merely another illustration of the Rajapaksa camp trying to play a hypocritical game of fighting for justice and honesty in politics. Ravi Karunanayakehimself is in large measure a product of the political culture created by the decade of Rajapaksa misrule and impunity. Ravi’s miscalculation was that he considered he could act with similar impunity being in the ranks of a government that rode to power under the noble banner of good governance.

It is in the nature of all revolutionary movements that counter revolutionary pressures emerge from within the ranks. In office, the new order begins to show strange resemblances with the old. Ravi managing to hold on, simply highlights the counter revolutionary crisis within the yahapalanaya government. Those of us who work for the civic campaign are left both bemused and bewildered. What is more, this case portends that the future course of yahapalanaya is also fraught with reactionary possibilities. For some time, stories and gossip have been floating around inferring that powerful persons within government are responsible for delaying to act on cases against men of the previous regime. Ravi Karunanayake’s successful tenacity tends to add credence to such stories. Concurrent with such possible counterrevolutionary manoeuvres it becomes important that the civic movement must get more firmly organised and be more demanding. At the end of the day, we the people are the transformative leaders. With the revolution of January 8th we face a transformative moment in the life of our country. “In this transformative moment, everybody contributes to, and in fact co-creates, the world we live in, whether conscious of their agency or not. Every choice, every action, every discussion, every interaction is a reflection of how we are leading our own lives,” said Alfonsu Montuori of the California Institute of Integral Studies.

Let’s make it all clear: At this stage, there isn’t any need to have a discourse within the sub judice space of Ravi’s case. That is prohibited by law. On the other hand, one could discourse on the ethical impropriety and serious moral conduct that is implied in Ravi’s own defence before the media after the court case. The ethical dynamics of this operate independently of the issue of guilt with regard to any crime involved in the bond case. The ethics of impropriety alone clearly give the red signal that Ravi must go- and go without any further hesitancy. Every day of hesitancy and waiting for something to fall off from the sky only compounds a bad case of political ethics. There is another substantive issue and that is that the Minister clinging on to high government office can be perceived as having the potential to influence the proceedings of the case itself. This makes up a substantial two-fold reason why Ravi must go without playing a cat and mouse game.

Take a look at the stupid statement the besieged Minister made before the crowd outside court and relayed to the public by mass media: He said he was “discharged.” This is a lie. The question of discharge does not arise when someone is summoned and questioned by the Commission and released thereafter. Even Wimal Weerawansa and Basil Rajapaksa have been “discharged,” in this sense. One is discharged only against formal charges made in a court case. This wasn’t the case here. It is not befitting for a Minister of government to make such a glib statement meant to fool a gullible public or to throw sand in our eyes. Plain deception! Second, the Minister said that this is a clear case of mischief on the part of officials in the Attorney General’s Department. It is not done for a Minister to attack a key department of his own government and pass the buck. He knows the AG is not in a position to refute the Minister in a public statement. This is deception number two. Third, Ravi says he is not expected to know about what his wife does in a company run by her-making reference to the lease and subsequent purchase of the Penthouse by a Company belonging to his wife and daughter. Dear reader, just jack up your imagination to the utmost capacity- level and try and visualise this scenario: Ravi is aware that the family is to move to the luxury penthouse. He does not bother to ask the wife how the deal was done, how she funded that. He goes at least every night to sleep with his wife in this luxury apartment but never for a moment does it occur to him to ascertain how it all came about. Next, the same penthouse was subsequently purchased for Rs 165 million. It is not Ravi’s business to enquire how she got such a large block of money. Hence, he never asks the wife but simply goes on living there. He has no natural curiosity to ask that.

Now, can you ever believe in this fairy tale? Even a Kinder kid would have his curiosity aroused; but Ravi’s curiosity isn’t forthcoming. And, he was the Minster of Finance!

What made matters worse was when Ravi is reported to have constructed a case that Anika Wijesuriya, the witness who testified before the Commission had been a former lover of Arjun Aloysius, the benefactor of this house. That lowered the case toward a kind of porno level.

CB Bond Scandal Ravi K’s involvement

BY FAIZER SHAHEID

2017-08-09

Over the last few weeks, all eyes have been on Foreign Minister, Ravi Karunanayake and the owner of Perpetual Treasuries Limited, Arjun Aloysius. Sri Lanka may be going through hell, but the citizens are happy to keep going as long as it is a penthouse at The Monarch Residencies that distracts them. It appears the tide has turned against Ravi Karunanayake, and all other politicians who are jumping the gun in order to capitalize politically.

The idea is to push for the resignation of Ravi Karunanayake in the pretext of the Bond scandal so as to save face for all others.

Several statements were made last week at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI), regarding the evidence, but a majority of the statements were made with blatant disregard to their own corrupt histories, and it is not too puzzling to figure the motives. There is also complete disregard for the legal maxim, 'innocent until proven guilty.'

Background

Since 8 January 2015, the government has been plagued with controversy surrounding the Bond scandal. The Central Bank was under the purview of the Economic Affairs Ministry, held by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. He appointed one of his close confidantes, Arjuna Mahendran, as the Governor of the Central Bank. Mahendran was thereafter embroiled in a controversial Bond issue that destroyed his reputation.

In February 2015, 30-year Treasury Bonds valued at Rs 1,000,000,000 were advertised at an attractive interest rate of 9.5%. It attracted 26 bids in total, including a bid by Perpetual Treasuries, owned by Arjun Aloysius, son-in-law of Arjuna Mahendran.

Perpetual Treasuries submitted a bid of Rs 5,000,000,000 at a 12% interest rate. The Central Bank went on to issue tenfold of what it originally proposed, and Perpetual Treasuries purchased Bonds worth Rs 5,000,000,000 at an even more attractive interest rate of 12.5% per annum.

The government initially refused to investigate the Bond scandal, with Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe defending his close friend, Arjuna Mahendran. For formalities sake, President Maithripala Sirisena formed a committee to investigate the Bond scandal which declared that Arjuna Mahendran was not guilty.

A considerable time later, President Maithripala Sirisena set up a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI), to investigate the Bond scandal, on 27 January 2017. The commission proved to be effective and consistently called for witnesses to present evidence. It involved two Supreme Court Judges and there did not appear to be any tampering of its investigations. Many previously unknown revelations were made, including the fact that Ravi Karunanayake, during his tenure as Finance Minister, resided in a penthouse at Monarch Residencies, and the lease for this penthouse was paid by Arjun Aloysius.

Last week (2), the phone and laptop used by Arjun Aloysius were unlocked, and startling revelations were made. For one, it showed that text messages referred to a certain 'RK' or 'Ravi K' and also 'PM.' There was evidence to suggest that gossip websites were to be launched and funded by Arjun Aloysius, giving a major push to 'PM' and 'Ravi K.'

Meanwhile, Ravi Karunanayake was also interrogated for his alleged involvement in the Bond scandal and regarding the penthouse at Monarch Residencies.

Onella's message

The proof against Ravi Karunanayake was presented by Anika Wijesuriya, the previous owner of the penthouse at Monarch Residencies. The penthouse was eventually purchased by Ravi Karunanayake for an astonishing Rs 165 million, of which Rs 145 million was paid by a company named Global Transportation and Logistics (Pvt) Ltd. The company is owned by his wife, Mela Karunanayake and daughter, Onella Karunanayake.

Amid the chaos, many people began calling for the resignation of Ravi Karunanayake from Parliament, presumably for his involvement in the Bond scandal.

In response, Onella made an earnest statement on Facebook. Onella had asked a very valid question. She asked: "Just ask yourself why only one man's name comes up all the time in such a huge government?"

She also asked: "Does everyone really believe for the last couple of years everything in the government is just one man and that we have been getting hit because we deserve it or that maybe there is a pattern to this madness now?"

In her impassioned plea, Onella did not answer very pertinent questions in the minds of many. She did not respond to the question as to whether it was indeed her mother and her that arranged for lease payments to be paid by Arjun Aloysius.

She neither commented on her father's guilt, nor did she state how the money had been accounted for. Yet, her statements appear to imply that her father may be guilty, but he is not alone in the bandwagon.

A Political Melodrama

The PCoI investigation is still ongoing, yet politicians seem to be ready for the upcoming onslaught of criticism. It began when the Joint Opposition led by Mahinda Rajapaksa presented a 'No Confidence Motion' in Parliament, supposedly signed by 34 Parliamentarians against Ravi Karunanayake.

Subsequently, Sports Minister, Dayasiri Jayasekara issued a statement that if Ravi Karunanayake does not resign, or is not removed, he would be compelled to sign the 'No Confidence Motion.'
Minister of Housing and Construction, Sajith Premadasa then entered the limelight stating that he would resign from the Cabinet and take to the streets against corruption should anybody defend corrupt people. Perhaps he should recall the incident where he stated usa vadinam security, usa adunam kamkaru (which means if you are tall, you can be a security guard, but if you are short, you can be a labourer). It would have been much easier to believe him had he resigned from the Cabinet and taken to the streets for his own corrupt practices.

Even Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe entered the limelight by stating that there was no place for corrupt persons in his Cabinet.

If this is true, then he should be the first to resign under the circumstances considering the fact that he appointed Arjuna Mahendran in the first place.

He defended the actions of Arjuna Mahendran in the midst of mounting pressure and protected him from being sacked until his term officially ended.

There was also speculation that President Maithripala Sirisena had asked Ravi Karunanayake to resign until investigations were complete.
Resignation, or not?

There is a legal maxim, which states 'he who comes to Court must come with clean hands.' The same maxim should apply to politics.

Many of the politicians are not clean themselves. Donations of this nature, where many private contributors pay the bills of Parliamentarians and Ministers, are quite common among many politicians. After all, without private funding of political campaigns, only corruption could fund major projects of political parties such as the May Day and other political rallies.

It is nearly impossible to organize campaigns without individuals who are willing to spend on the politicians. After all, politicians do not pluck money from trees. The fact remains, however, that the private sector and individuals who contribute towards politics would certainly not do it without expecting something in return. Therefore, political favours are common. Sometimes, the favours come in the form of tenders for contracts, or insider information, or perhaps specific licensing to conduct various businesses. In view of this, the contributions allegedly made by Arjun Aloysius to pay Ravi Karunanayake's lease may have been a common practice. However, as per the revelations made by the PCoI so far, there does not appear to be a direct connection between the lease payments for the penthouse and the bond scandal. So far, the investigations have revealed that Arjun Aloysius made the payments willingly. Perhaps, investigations would reveal more details over the coming weeks which would find Ravi Karunanayake guilty or perhaps not, but until such time, Ravi Karunanayake is 'innocent until proven guilty.'

In addition to the payments made by Arjun Aloysius, there was another payment which raised suspicion. The question on everyone's mind is how did Ravi Karunanayake manage to raise Rs 165 million in order to purchase the penthouse at Monarch Residencies? So far, the investigation has revealed that a company called Global Transportation and Logistics (Pvt) Ltd had purchased the penthouse subsequently. Further information reveals that Ravi Karunanayake had ceased to be a shareholder of the company since 10 January 2015.

However, his wife and daughter were shareholders of the company, and in order to get to the bottom of this, they would need to hand over the paperwork to the authorities. As far as the law goes, company law dictates that 'a company remains a legal entity and is recognized in law as a body corporate.' This is held in Section 2 of the Companies Act 2007. Therefore, the penthouse is recognized as being a property of Global Transportation and Logistics (Pvt) Ltd, and afforded as accommodation to the shareholders. If further contributions were made from outside, it must be deemed as a jointly owned property.

It is more difficult to prove that Ravi Karunanayake was directly involved in the transaction due to the fact that a man and members of his family are different entities. Being so, it is possible for the PCoI to require Mela and Onella Karunanayake to hand over any paperwork related to their transactions, but until such time, Ravi Karunanayake should be left alone.

Implications if found guilty

While it is difficult to observe a pattern between the penthouse payments and the bond scandal, it must be stated that if Ravi Karunanayake or Arjun Aloysius or anybody else is found guilty, it can literally spell doom for them. The Special Presidential Commission of Inquiry Act grants the PCoI extensive powers in relation to investigations. It permits evidence that may normally be rendered inadmissible in an ordinary Court of Law.

Furthermore, Section 7 (2) (f) permits that if there is any technological evidence to be presented, and if such concealed messages or any other is required to be displayed, it is mandatory for it to be done. This is the prime reason why Arjun Aloysius was required to unlock his Apple devices. The same shall apply to Ravi Karunanayake and his family, and Ranil Wickremesinghe should he be required to cooperate in relation to the investigations.

The findings of the PCoI cannot be contested in a Court of Law, and therefore, its report shall be final. Yet, what is most special about the PCoI is that, if it finds a person guilty in its final report, the PCoI will submit it to the President. The President must then mandatorily revoke the civic rights of the persons found guilty. This would mean that any person found guilty can no longer vote, nor enter Parliament, nor fly abroad, nor register any businesses, nor hold any right, but his basic human rights.
Conclusion

The PCoI has a mandate to investigate the bond scam and can only find guilty any person involved in it. Therefore, it is too early to destroy Ravi Karunanayake's character in relation to the bond scandal, especially due to the fact that the penthouse transactions do not appear to be related to the bond scandal at first glance. It is best to wait for the final report. Given the current evidence, it may be proved that Ravi Karunanayake is guilty, but we must also bear in mind that the politicians who are crying foul also have skeletons in their closets.

(The writer is a law tutor and an independent researcher of laws. He holds a postgraduate degree in the field of Human Rights and Democratization from the University of Colombo and an undergraduate degree in Law from the University of Northumbria, United Kingdom)
(faizer@live.com)

Many UNP supporters are watching in shock the way Minister Ravi Karunanayake is being treated by the UNP.

Aug 08, 2017

Ravi K is the Assistant Leader of the Party. It is a well known fact that Ravi Karunanayake bank rolled the party for years. He was a close associate of Ven Sobitha Thero.

The person who masterminded the entire Yahapalana campaign until the crossover of President Sirisena. The big beneficiaries of the government President, PM and the Sirisena Family and the Wickremesinghe friends have now happily washed off their hands and forgotten the very man who put his life at risk to get Sirisena elected as President.

95% of those surrounding the President did not work to get the President elected. But now the President is foolishly getting advice from people who openly campaigned to make sure Sirisena lost the election.

How stupid is that Mr President? President Sirisena is happily prosecuting the very people who helped him to get elected without going after the plunderers. Ranil Wickremesinghe is no different , he has surrounded himself with people who are only interested in saving their jobs and their illegal fund flows. They are not interested in his welfare.

Wickremesinghe’s downfall once again is Malik Samarawickrama, Charitha Ratwatte and the notorious R Paskaralingem. Before the Prime Minister asks Ravi Karunanayake to step down he should sack the Srilankan CEO Suren Ratwatte and Chairman Ajith Dias for causing losses of over 30 Billion Rupees due to mismanagement and cozy deals.

Ravi K and the UNP must demand for it first. If the PM wishes to protect his friends, then the President must appoint a commission for Srilankan immediately to investigate the losses.

No body in the future will come forward to help Sirisena or Wickremesinghe again at an election, other than the deal makers around them to protect themselves from going to jail.
This is a tragedy in waiting!

Video: This government attempts to defeat Rajapaksa regime in thieving

Vijitha-Herath-Nalinda-Jayathissa-2017.08.08

August 9, 2017

“We get the feeling that this government is stealing to challenge and defeat the stealing committed by the Rajapaksa regime. We cannot measure the size of stealing. There is no difference between big thieves and small thieves. These thieves who have devoured ships would say only a garlic pod has been stolen. However, what has been stolen is the funds of the people. Legal action should be carried out against all stealing whether they were committed at present or in the past,” says the Information Secretary of the JVP Parliamentarian Vijitha Herath.He said this speaking to the media at a press conference held at the head office of the JVP at Pelawatta yesterday (8th). The Member of the Central Committee of the JVP Parliamentarian Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa also was present.

Speaking further Mr Herath said, “The bond scam cannot be allowed to be swept under the carpet by punishing Minister Ravi Karunanayaka. There is an attempt to sacrifice Ravi Karunanayaka to get the treasure. Those who have got the treasure want to go scot free. We cannot allow that to happen. For, the treasure belongs to the people. It is people’s funds. The whole gang of thieves who plundered the treasure should be punished and the people should get back their money.

The government attempts to settle the matter by getting Ravi Karunanayaka to resign. We wouldn’t allow other thieves to go scot free. Government’s attempt is to sweep the crime under the carpet by getting Ravi Karunanayaka to resign. Minister Tilak Marapana resigned and the Avant Guard incident was swept under the carpet. We cannot allow the same thing to happen to the bond scam. All those who are involved in the scam should be brought before the law. Many names of powerful people are mentioned in connection with the crime. All those real planners and perpetrator of the crime should be revealed. We would continue our pressure to get them revealed and punished. The debate on the no-confidence motion should be taken immediately. We, as a party would vote for it.”

Sri Lanka cannot afford another terrorism backlash

No LTTE threat – their attempts at violence are over

For the profusion of lies Poojith says of AAWA, any other government would have packed him home un- ceremonially !

Thursday, 10 August 2017

The other day when the news emerged that forms of terrorism were emerging with sporadic attacks in the Jaffna peninsula, the first that that crossed my mind was Sri Lanka which is having a debt of almost 56 billion dollars cannot take another hit to the economy.

Ava Group

The Ava Group is currently an underground criminal gang that has been into thefts, crimes and kidnapping people for ransom, which was similar to the initial incidents that was reported way back in 1987 and it ballooned out to be the LTTE.

A person called Kumaresaratnam Vinothan believed to be around 21 years from Inuvil, locally known as ‘Ava,’ is apparently the leader of the gang operating in the district. The group when arrested recently had nine motorcycles, two hand grenades, 12 swords, knuckles and a few other lethal weapons. The members of the group are between the ages of 17 to 30 years and apparently there are three groups under the leader Ava. There is a girl who is also a group leader on the prowl and the police is on the search.

LTTE

If one tracks back on the LTTE, in 1983 Prabhakaran apparently had only 12 cadres with just 20 shotguns but by 2006 the LTTE had aircrafts, tanks, submarines, missiles and brigade of more than 20,000 that is estimated to have wiped out $200 billion off the Sri Lankan economy. This tells us very clearly that one cannot just take a sporadic attack like what Sri Lanka saw last week in Jaffna lightly. It needs to be taken seriously and addressed with focus.

Sri Lanka – 3.8%

in 2017

The GDP in the first quarter of 2017 grew by 3.8% due to the severe drought conditions that impacted four provinces but the worrying issue is that the trade deficit expanding to $ 4,200 from the $ 3,415 of the corresponding period last year does not augur well for the economic health given the strong governance at play.

Tourist arrivals on a cumulative basis is up 4.8% in the first five months but the decline of 2.5% experienced in May is not healthy, which may be due to the outbreak of dengue which was badly mismanaged by the economy. Worker remittances further declining by 3.7% versus last year is sure denting the health of the Sri Lankan economy even though there are valid reasons for this trend.

On the overall financial health the net outflow of $250 million as at end May 2017 clearly indicates the challenge at hand. In this backdrop servicing the debt mountain sure indicates an economy in a catch 22 situation. This is why the Hambantota Port deal had to be signed at any cost by the Sri Lankan Government.

Sri Lanka will have to accept that unless the PPP approach of working is not done, Sri Lanka will not be able to pull the economy out of the debt cycle that it is up against, estimated at around 56 billion dollars.

Terrorism and economy

Apart from the five billion dollars that was spent to rebuild the Northern Province post the war, if we compute the taxes that had been levied on the A9 road by the LTTE when the private sector transported goods from the south to the north during the years the LTTE was in control of the Wanni, it is said to have cost the country almost another billion dollars.

A classic case in point is the virtual test market that happened during the peace dividend between the periods of 2002-2004. During the two years the GDP in the Northern Province quadrupled to 12.6% while in the Eastern Province it doubled to 10.1%, which is the pent-up demand that existed in this part of the country for over 20 years of war which is the impact of terrorism on a country.

Terrorism and quality of life

An important point to note is that in 2003/2004 the socio economic indicators reported that the access to pipe-borne water in the Northern Province was only 3.1% whilst in the east it registers 17.4%. The national average stood at a high 30.8%. The non-accessibility to toilets which is a stronger indicator of the quality of life registered in the north at 14.4% and the east, a staggering 29.2% whilst the national average stood at a respectable 5.6%, which again is a result of economic terrorism that has been at play for 24 years.

As per the labour force survey of 2002, the labour force participation is at 50.3% nationally, whilst in the north it had dropped to 33.8% and in the east to 40.3%, which can directly be reflective of an economy under stress. This clearly points out to the fact that if Sri Lanka does not control the Ava factor we can once again go down to the historic challenges that we once was up against.

Terrorism impact – Tourism/FDIs

In 1983 Sri Lanka enjoyed 337,530 visitor arrivals whilst a country like Cambodia had around 200,000 tourists at that time. By 2009, Cambodia enjoyed over two million tourist arrivals whilst Sri Lanka was at low ebb of 0.5 million arrivals with a revenue of Rs. 43 billion.

If terrorism was not in existence Sri Lanka should have recorded around 1.8 million tourists at a very conservative estimate whilst earnings should have touched $ 2 billion. This on a GDP perspective would have been almost 8% to the country.

The Strategic Foresight Group which has researched this topic on the theme ‘Cost of the war in Sri Lanka’ has estimated through a simple extrapolation that the loss of revenue due to the curtailment of FDIs into the country is around Rs. 3,000 billion which is a clear indication of the challenges Sri Lanka will be up against unless groups likes Ava are curtailed early in the process.

Terrorism impact

to R&D

Research reveals that around 400 billion was spent on the war in the period 2007-2009 and divert it to the investment that could have been made on Research and Development (R&D), the numbers will stack up to almost 7% of GDP. This would beat the 4% GDP spend that economic tigers like South Korea invested to build power brands like Samsung. This gives us an idea of the opportunity cost that economic terrorism has had in making Sri Lanka an innovation hub for South Asia.

Terrorism impact on exports

A point that can contribute to the concept of economic terrorism in the apparel sector is as follows. If we analyse the Revealed Comparative Advantage (RCA) score for Sri Lanka we see that Sri Lanka scores a high of 16.7 on being a supplier of clothes but scores a low 1.05 on being a textile supplier.

This can be attributed to the non-strategic direction in which this industry has been developed by the State in the 20 years of war due its focus on containing the LTTE. This also accounts for economic terrorism that existed in the face of Sri Lanka that diverted the overall strategic direction that Sri Lanka could have enjoyed if not for the war.

Conclusion

Hence we see the impact of terrorism in a country and in numbers the total can exceed 200 billion dollars. To give a better idea this value is almost three times Sri Lanka’s current GDP value so something that that policymakers and the world must understand is that groups like Ava must never be allowed to raise their head. Simply putting it, Sri Lanka cannot survive another terrorism challenge.

(The writer is the President and Group CEO of an international property development company based in Sri Lanka. The thoughts are strictly personal in nature and do not reflect the views of the organisations he serves in Sri Lanka or globally. Dr. Athukorala was the Head of Economic Affairs of the Government Peace Secretariat during the 2007-2009 during the 4th Eelam war.)

Rs. 3 b loss by granting frequencies to Maharaja – Democrats against Corruption

Aug 09, 2017

Democrats against Corruption says the president has caused a Rs. 3 billion loss to the state by granting eight frequencies to Maharaja organization without any tender calling. In a statement, it questions as to why no investigation is taking place into this loss.

Maharaja has been given the frequencies unlike in any other country despite their could have been sold at very high prices in order to increase competitiveness in 700 mega hertz or above broadband frequencies, it says. That had been done after president Sirisena took the TRC under his control. The last time over-700 mega hertz frequencies were sold by the state, an income of 25 million dollars was earned.

However, president Sirisena has violated all state financial policies and handed over the frequencies to Maharaja, causing a Rs. 3,000 million loss to the state, it notes.

Despite the auditor general’s having said no recognized mechanism is in place to investigate corruption in a bond sale, a commission has been set up to look into it. But, this frequency fraud that directly causes losses to the state is not being investigated, it points out. As the president is the accused in this fraud, this should be handed over to the CID for investigation or a parliamentary committee appointed. As the president can be taken to court over a fundamental rights violation only, a FR case should be filed against him for having violated the FRs of the public by causing them a loss of more than Rs. three billion, it adds.

It should also be looked into if the president or a family member of his has gained anything illegally through this deal. Until the investigations are over, the president should relinquish his duties in the name of ethics, Democrats against Corruption adds.

Disaster Management

By Dr. Upatissa Pethiyagoda-August 9, 2017, 7:24 pm

We hear much about the human-elephant conflict. It is believed that elephants are mightily scared of honey bees. Thailand exploits this cannily. Bee boxes are located around desired areas, at suitable intervals and on stands then strung together by rope. Elephants attempting to cross over upset the hives and are met by irate bees. Elephants, being good learners, keep away. This is less costly, useful and more effective than electric fences!

I have always been intrigued by our having a ‘Ministry of Disaster Management rather than one for ‘prevention’ or ‘mitigation’."Management" implies continuity, control, regularity, reliability, balance as a resource for progressivity and profit. Perhaps the logic may be that considering our encountering alternating droughts and floods at progressively regular, alternating, and diminishing intervals, ( sometimes of less than one month), some level of ‘management’ is necessary – primarily to prevent confusion and overlap.

Globally, scientists have predicted an intensification of natural disasters – mainly floods and droughts – as a result of global warming. There is no great impact that a small country can contribute to global concerns. But, there is much we can do to prepare ourselves for likely future events. As a small island in the Humid Tropics, we could at least contribute by not being a positive contributor to disaster. It is not being selfish, to focus on what we can adopt to cushion ourselves and so contribute our mite to the over-arching global issue. It would not do to be obsessed with global issues while neglecting our own backyard. The most recent projection that increased Temperatures are predicted, by the next century, to kill some one-fifth of the population – mainly in South Asia, should stir us up to swift action. We ourselves have noted that even Nuwara Eliya is now virtually Dry Zone, that corals and mangroves have been ravaged, that the forests have dwindled and the sea choked with waste and polythene. With our relatively benign climatic factors, our failure to cope is no less than a disgrace.

It is evident that a well coordinated, competent and consistent effort will possibly help us to down very many birds with one stone. Let me deal with a few selected subjects that will illustrate the point. The following, should find general agreement as being priorities:

Droughts and floods and forest destruction together, indicate poor water management. The Netherlands has a long tradition of flood control and land restoration and Israel a stellar record in combating drought and managing water. Both would be ready to help us. Our annual precipitation is generous. In Tropical conditions, I believe that any tree is better than no tree, with very few exceptions. If such trees provide other benefits so much the better! Bamboo forests and plantings along stream banks for consolidation, gums, mahogany, jak, breadfruit and other fruits – the list is endless. The "invasive" Prosop is now on coastal dunes is a self-perpetuating, promising candidate for small thermal power units. Utilization is better than attempting eradication.

Droughts, now causing untold suffering to poor farmers can be relieved, at least somewhat, by regular de-silting of Dry Zone tanks. This operation can best be done during dry spells. The removed material has use for landfills and is so loaded with nutrients that it may even have value as fertilizer. There are of course concerns that high contents of heavy metals could aggravate CKDU. But this has to be established and remedied. Rainwater collection to enhance supply and drip irrigated agriculture to conserve can usefully fit in. Regarding increasing storage in tanks by de-silting, if appropriate uses are found for the silt removed, the costs may even be met by contracting with the private sector. This may help reduce the present sand smuggling practices. Can it also be useful for layering urban garbage?

Trees are aesthetically pleasing, and so employed by good architects. The British exploited this, by encouraging them for street lining. Incidentally, some of these are too big and hazardous and in need of replenishment. Trees also function like outdoor air-conditioners. If all unutilized urban patches are planted with trees, a massive cooling effect is likely. They are also valuable as Carbon sinks and for retention of suspended particulate air pollutants.

I remember being chastised by a boss for being ‘a dreamer’. I was hurt and offended at the time. Now I realise that it was really a compliment and an asset of which I am now proud. The current piece is its manifestation!