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Who's Delaying The Probe Champika Threatens To Reveal Names

Minister Champika Ranawaka threatened to publicly reveal the names of those stalling investigations into several cases, including the floating armoury case and bond issue at the Central Bank, if they were not expedited within a week. During a cabinet meeting, Ranawaka complained about the lack of transparency and progress in these investigations. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe defended the Central Bank bond issue. Ranawaka also called for transparency in foreign bond issues generally.

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245 views5 pages

Who's Delaying The Probe Champika Threatens To Reveal Names

Minister Champika Ranawaka threatened to publicly reveal the names of those stalling investigations into several cases, including the floating armoury case and bond issue at the Central Bank, if they were not expedited within a week. During a cabinet meeting, Ranawaka complained about the lack of transparency and progress in these investigations. Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe defended the Central Bank bond issue. Ranawaka also called for transparency in foreign bond issues generally.

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Thavam Ratna
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as ODT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Whos delaying the probe?

Champika
threatens to reveal names

Sunday, June 14, 2015

Power and Energy


Minister Champika Ranawaka threw a challenge at a recent ministerial meeting expedite
investigations into the cases he mentioned within a week or he would go public and name those
behind the delays. The meeting was chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena.
The cases he identified, where investigations are now underway, are the floating armoury case
involving Avant Garde Maritime Security Limited, the onetime Reconstruction and
Development Authority (RADA) and the Bond Issue at the Central Bank.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe promptly interjected on the bond issue by the Central
Bank. Ey issue ekay varadak nehe (there is nothing wrong on that issue), he declared.
Minister Ranawakas comments came during a discussion on a Cabinet memorandum
presented by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake. He had sought approval to
increase foreign bonds from US$ 1,500 m to US$ 2500 m.
Minister Ranawaka said there should be transparency in such bond issues, and went
on to speak about the three other investigations. He complained that there had not
been positive action so far. He said he would publicly reveal the names of persons
who were trying to stall the investigations.
Two days ahead of the weekly ministerial meeting, President Sirisena (last Monday)
chaired a meeting of the UPFA parliamentary group at the Presidential Secretariat.

There, different MPs raised various issues. Bandula Gunawardena (Colombo District)
accused United National Party (UNP) members of humiliating their UPFA counterparts.
Referring to the passage of the 19A, one had said, balu kukko vagey chandey dunna
ney (you all voted like little puppies). Former Navy officer and Ampara District
parliamentarian Sarath Weerasekera protested over the nomination of Radhika
Coomaraswamy to the Constitutional Council under the 19A. Sirisena replied that such
issues could be resolved by talking to those concerned.
There was a humorous moment when Bandula Gunawardena asked President
Sirisena to join his ranks to stand together. Mr. Sirisena replied that he and the others
should join him and stand together. Another question raised by Mr. Gunawardena was
over an amendment to a Gazette notification setting up the Financial Crimes
Investigation Division of the Police. This was to delete a provision that said that Prime
Minister Wickremesinghe would chair the anti-corruption subcommittee that oversaw
the FCID. Mr. Sirisena replied that he had raised the matter with the Prime Minister
and would follow up on it.

Cutout craze comes again with all the boast

The cutouts season ahead of the


parliamentary elections has arrived. If President Maithripala Sirisena directed that no
cutouts of him be used during the January 8 presidential election, it was a different
story this time. Just last Monday when he addressed the Sri Lanka Freedom Party
(SLFP) district level leaders at the Vihara Maha Devi open air stadium, cutouts were
placed around the park and its environs.

It carried a large portrait of Mr. Sirisena and an appeal in Sinhala which exhorted that
the 20th Amendment to the Constitution be passed. In the Colombo North area, there
were different cut outs. All of them carried large portraits of Finance Minister Ravi
Karunanayake and of President Sirisena and Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe. The
additional segments surrounding the large portrait delivered some strong messages.
One boasted that it was the Finance Minister who had lent the money for housing
projects. So, Samurdhi and Housing Minister Sajith Premadasa could not have built
those houses if not for the money that was granted by Mr. Karunanayakes largesse.
That was not all. Another claimed that the Finance Minister had brought down fuel
prices, commodity prices and other items. So, casting collective responsibility to the
winds, ministers are not only firing broadsides but also claiming credit for matters done
by a Government as a whole.
As one wag remarked, its no cutouts when you are not in power and dont have the
financial resources, but its cutouts when you are in power and do; and the time when
one of them would come out to say it is he or she who paid the government servants
salaries is not far off.

Dwindling CWC turns to the deities


Senior members of the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC), the largest but fast
dwindling plantation sector trade union, were on a religious tour to the North this week.
The team included CWC General Secretary Arumugam Thondaman. They worshiped
at the Nallur Kandasamy Kovil and Nayinathivu Amman Kovil for blessings and for
better prospects at the upcoming general elections.
The group consisted of the formal leader Muththu Sivalingam, and Senthil
Thondaman, a provincial council member. The group met the Indian Consulate
General in Jaffna for a brief discussion. There was a surprise inclusion in the group.
That was Nuwara Eliya district parliamentarian Sri Ranga, who is reported to be
wanting to contest on the CWC ticket.

Rajapaksa loyalists seeking SLFP nominations


Political parties are preparing their nominations for possible Parliamentary elections.
The Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) too is busy with the process. One of the issues
remaining has been whether those who are known to be supporting former President
Mahinda Rajapaksa will receive nominations from the SLFP.
At a news conference this week, a journalist asked this question from Government
Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne.They may be shouting on other stages, but all of them
have sought nomination from the SLFP, he said.He was asked whether the former
Presidents son Namal Rajapakasa too had asked for nominations. He said he too had
made an application.
Another journalist pointed out that the group supporting the former President had said
there was no transparency in the selection of the candidates. If they want they can set
up their own Nomination Board and sit before them. Then there would be
transparency, Dr Senaratne responded.

Rajitha scoffs at Mahindas antics


Backers of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa have been lamenting over
inadequate security for him.
Last week, one group lodged a complaint at Police Headquarters over the issue and
demanded that his security be enhanced.
This week, the issue was raised at the weekly news briefing by official spokesperson
and Minister Rajitha Senaratne.
We have not given him security to climb up on a wooden box (Pakis-petti) in every
junction and have meetings, he remarked. He said the Government could not provide
the same security as that of a sitting President since it would amount to maintaining of
another President.
Dr. Senaratne had more advice for the former President. The best he can do is stay at
home and practise his religion, he said.
He (the former President) seems to be now thinking if he cant become a

Mahanayaka, he can at least become a lay attendant at a temple, he declared.

Hidden hand in Jaffna protests


Were members of a group helping an intelligence arm of the state also responsible for
the recent incidents in Jaffna? This included the attack on the Magistrates Court after
the rape and murder of a schoolgirl. A top level investigation is now under way to
determine the role of the group which had in the past years obtained financial benefits.

VIP security for liquor tycoon


Along the old Ja-ela Road, there is a mansion that belongs to a multi-billionaire
businessman who operates one of the largest distilleries in the country among many
other enterprises. This man has his mansion well secured with a high rise wall and
steel gates not to mention the private security personnel stationed within the premises.
But if that is not enough, he has also persuaded the local police to prevent any
motorist from parking alongside his main entrance and near the wall. What has
happened here is that the traffic police with the endorsement of the areas Senior
Superintendent , SSP, have placed two glaring sign boards that prohibit the parking of
any vehicle in front of the mansion gate or even alongside.
A senior retired traffic police officer said such public notices could only be endorsed by
the local authority and not by the police.

Posted by Thavam

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