News
Bid to expose alleged corrupt deal at Colombo Port: State Minister’s attack on his boss couldn’t have happened at a better time – Mujibur
By Shamindra Ferdinando
Top Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) spokesperson Mujibur Rahman yesterday (28) said that the recent allegations directed at Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva by his own deputy State Minister Premalal Jayasekera pertaining to a high profile investment at the Colombo port had exposed the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government.
The former parliamentarian said that the accusations made a few days after he sought information regarding the proposed establishment of South Asia Logistic Centres in the port of Colombo from the Ports, Shipping and Aviation Ministry in terms of the Right to Information (RTI) Act could help to verify the allegations.
“State Minister Jayasekera couldn’t have made such accusations at a worse time,” the former UNP MP said, adding that the Ratnapura District MP had implicated President Ranil Wickremesinghe, too, in the Colombo port project given to China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited represented here by Colombo International Container Terminal (CICT).
CICT is a joint venture between China Merchants Port Holdings Company Limited, a listed blue chip company in the Hong Kong stock exchange, and the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). China holds 85% of the partnership whilst the balance 15% is being held by SLPA.
Responding to another query, the former parliamentarian said that during the media conference given by State Minister Jayasekera, the parliamentarian referred to the valuation of the 14 acres of land allocated for the project.
Ex-Colombo District MP and SJB’s mayoral candidate for CMC Rahman said that he handed over the RTI application to Ports, Shipping and Aviation Ministry on Aug 18. In terms of the RTI Act, the relevant authority would have to respond within 14 days. Failure to do so could result in legal proceedings, SJB spokesperson said. The politician alleged that the Wickremesinghe-Rajapaksa government was continuing with controversial projects launched by the previous Gotabaya Rajapaksa administration.
This particular investment had been initiated during Rohitha Abeygunawardena’s tenure as the Ports and Shipping Minister.
Rahman said that the SJB would like to know whether the Cabinet of Ministers had taken a decision on 26 July, 2021, consequent to a Cabinet memorandum, dated 21 July, 2021 pertaining to the port deal.
“We want to clarify the appointment of a Negotiation Committee as envisaged in the cabinet paper and determinations made by the aforementioned committee,” Rahman said after having handed over the RTI application. “We asked for the names of the members of the Negotiating Committee.”
RTI became law in 2017 following a campaign spearheaded by the likes of the Yahapalana Speaker Karu Jayasuriya and a section of civil society grouping. The ex-MP said that they sought information regarding this particular deal as the party was aware of the 14 acres of land, situated within the area, coming under the purview of the Colombo port, was to be given to a Chinese project at terms highly unfavourable to the country.
Rahman said that they also sought documents pertaining to the deal after Nimal Siripala de Silva succeeded Kalutara District MP Rohitha Abeyguna-wardena as Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister. Pointing out that de Silva took over the Ministry after Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s ouster in July 2022, Rahman said that they asked for legal opinion expressed by the Attorney General as regards the BOT (Build-Operate and Transfer) agreement pertaining to the large infrastructure project.
According to a copy of the RTI application seen by The Island, Rahman has sought the observations made by President Ranil Wickremesinghe, in his capacity as the Finance, Economic Stabilization and National Policies Minister as regards this project that involved an investment of USD 150 mn and working capital of USD 25 mn.
Rahman said that State Minister Jayasekera’s spate of allegations against his own minister and the SLPA proved that regardless of the change of government the same old corrupt system remained. In fact, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) should inquire into these accusations as revival of the economy would only be a dream as long as the incumbent government failed to address waste, corruption, irregularities and mismanagement at every level, Rahman said.
Minister de Silva hasn’t officially refuted the allegations so far.
The Cabinet of Ministers approved the resolution forwarded by the Minister of Health and Mass Media to relocate the Deniyaya Base Hospital after constructing a new hospital with a capacity of 300 beds at an estimated cost of Rupees 6,000 million.
The Southern Provincial Department of Health has acquired a plot of land in Handford estate which is approximately 03 kilometres away from the town for this purpose.
News
Cabinet nod to legally empower methodology for implementing the ‘Praja Shakthi’ poverty alleviation national movement
The Cabinet of Ministers granted approval for the resolution furnished by the Minister of Rural Development, Social Security and Community Empowerment to instruct the Legal Draftsman to draft a bill to legally empower the implementation of ‘Praja Shakthi’ (Strength of the Community) poverty alleviation national movement
…preliminary work started on new Constitution
JVP General Secretary Tilvin Silva yesterday (17) maintained that the NPP government was not under Indian pressure to hold the long delayed Provincial Council elections.
The top JVP official said so appearing on Sirasa Pathikada, anchored by Asoka Dias. Tilvin Silva said that neither the devolution nor terrorism issues had been discussed during his meeting with External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar and Deputy National Security Advisor Pavan Kapoor, in New Delhi. This was Tilvin Silva’s first visit to India.
Declaring that politics hadn’t been on the agenda, the JVPer said that the Indian focus was entirely on economic development and technology.
The JVP General Secretary visited India under the Indian Council for Cultural Relations’ (ICCR) Distinguished Visitors Programme from 5-12 February 2026. General Secretary Silva was accompanied by Kitnan Selvaraj, MP, Ilankumaran Karunanathan, MP, JVP Central Committee Member Janaka Adhikari, JVP’s Media Unit Head Hemathilaka Gamage and Member of JVP’s International Relations Department Kalpana Madhubhashini. The delegation visited New Delhi, Ahmedabad and Thiruvananthapuram.
Responding to another query, Tilvin Silva said that Dr. S. Jaishankar had reiterated that India would always remain a true and trusted partner for Sri Lanka, in accordance with its ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’ and Vision ‘MAHASAGAR.’
Referring to the second JVP insurrection in the late 1980s, the JVPer claimed that they had not been against India but responded to the actions of the then Indian government.
Sri Lanka enacted the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in the wake of the Indo-Lanka peace accord of July 1987 to pave the way for Provincial Councils.
Tilvin Silva said that since they came to power, Indo-Sri Lanka relations had changed. “India has realised we could work together,” he said.
The JVP official said that preliminary work was underway, regarding the formulation of a new Constitution. The abolition of executive presidency and creation of an Office of President sans executive powers, too, would be addressed, he said, adding that the strengthening of the legislature was the other issue at hand.
Pointing out that the NPP had 2/3 majority in Parliament and could introduce a new Constitution on their own, Tilvin Silva said that they intended to obtain views of all and study the past processes in a bid to secure consensus. The JVP, as the party that campaigned against the introduction of executive presidency, way back in 1978, would lead the current effort to do away with the existing Constitution, he said.
Tilvin promised that they would implement what was in their manifesto.
The interviewer also raised the issue of abolishing the pensions for ex-Presidents. Tilvin Silva said that the Supreme Court, too, had approved the move to abolish pensions to ex-MPs. Therefore there was no issue with that, however, the ex-Presidents pensions couldn’t be done away with as they were made through the Constitution. That would be addressed when the government introduced a new Constitution in consultation with other stakeholders.
By Shamindra Ferdinando
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