‘Don’t forget Japanese Embassy raised issue at hand with GR’

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Top SJB spokesman Mujibur Rahuman, MP, yesterday (04) said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe’s government owed an explanation regarding the re-appointment of SLFPer Nimal Siripala de Silva as Ports, Shipping and Aviation Minister in spite of serious bribery accusations directed at him.

Colombo District lawmaker Rahuman alleged that the incumbent government had quite conveniently forgotten that former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in the first weeks of July asked de Silva to step down pending an inquiry following a complaint received from the Japanese embassy in Colombo.

The Presidential Media Division (PMD) announced de Silva’s resignation on 06 July. Since then de Silva has issued a statement denying all accusations pertaining to bribery allegations involving Japanese Taisei Corporation engaged in a major construction project at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA).

Former UNPer Rahuman said that the appointment of a presidential committee to inquire into accusations was a ruse adopted by successive governments to suppress major allegations of waste, corruption and irregularities.

Responding to another query, the MP emphasised that de Silva couldn’t have been cleared only on the basis of a report submitted by retired High Court judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardene, PC, led three-member committee. Referring to a statement issued by the PMD, lawmaker Rahuman questioned the possibility in finalizing such a high profile inquiry within just over a week.

The PMD announced the appointment of the committee on July 22. Saman Ekanayake, Secretary to the President, received its report on July 31.Recalling the statement made by SJB and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa pertaining to Taisei allegations, MP Rahuman said that they demand the immediate releasing of Weerawardene’s report.

“No one knows what the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government did with the findings made by the same President’s Counsel probed the then State Minister Lohan Ratwatte accused of raiding Welikada and Anuradhapura prisons in a drunken stupor. The public cannot be hoodwinked by appointing committees and commissions any longer,” MP Rahuman said.

The MP urged the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to conduct a proper inquiry into the complaint lodged by an interested party as regards the Taisei allegation. The SHB official said that President Wickremesinghe, in his maiden policy statement delivered in parliament on Wednesday dealt with corruption. Having accommodated a person accused of demanding a bribe in his cabinet, how could President Wickremesinghe vow to eliminate corruption? Rahuman asked.

President Wickremesinghe told Parliament that complete eradication of bribery, corruption and fraud was a necessity. The President assured that he would implement a national policy to combat bribery and corruption. New rules and regulations and orders in this regard were being prepared by the Ministry of Justice, the President said, adding that a consensus would be reached with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) regarding combating of corruption.

Lawmaker Rahuman said that the country had to pay a very heavy price for the failure on the part of successive governments to take meaningful measures to tackle waste, corruption and irregularities. Perhaps new laws or amendments to existing laws were necessary to ensure the disclosures made by the Auditor General and examined by parliamentary watchdog committees received the prompt attention of the Attorney General and the CIABOC.

The MP said that the country was in such a precarious situation economically, the parliament should without further delay take meaningful measures to restore financial discipline. But, in spite of promises given by President Wickremesinghe, the UNP leader had accepted a person against whom serious corruption charges have been made.