News

‘How come govt. goes ahead with deal regardless of damning reports on SLIIT’

Published

3 years ago

2023/10/18

Sahan Weerasooriya

Charitha

Ex-COPE Chief questions executive decision on President’s House in KKS

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Prof. Charitha Herath yesterday (17) alleged in Parliament that leasing of the President’s House, situated at Kankesanthurai, to the Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), was contrary to recommendations made by the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) in 2021.

The President’s House is situated on 29-acre land in the wartime high security zone.

Declaring that President Ranil Wickremesinghe had made a decision in this regard, the former COPE Chairman said that handing over such a public property to an enterprise, regardless of COPE recommendations, amounted to an affront to Parliament. The rebel SLPP MP said the top management of SLIIT had deprived the government of SLIIT.

In late 2021, Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, PC, in a letter to the then President Gotabaya Rajapaksa alleged that SLIIT, established under the Mahapola Trust Fund, had been acquired by some lecturers of the University of Moratuwa in a questionable manner. MP Rajapakshe claimed that the loss to the Mahapola Trust Fund was over Rs. 40,000 million.

Rajapakshe, the current Justice Minister, named the academics involved in the alleged acquisition.

Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is on record as having said that the Kankesanthurai facility was an International Relations Centre belonging to the Presidential Secretariat. In addition to that a similar facility was to be built at Arugam Bay, according to the former President.

Making a special statement in parliament, Prof. Herath asked whether the executive could ignore the COPE findings in respect of SLIIT.

Herath pointed out that the parliamentary watchdog in a special report released on April 06, 2021 had stated that SLIIT built with public funds on a 23-acre land in Malabe had been gradually taken over by a group of people. Regardless of several Cabinet papers submitted during different administrations, SLIIT had managed to proceed with its grab of the state property much to the dismay of parliament, the MP said.

Prime Minister Dinesh Gunawardena was fully aware of the situation, MP Herath said, adding that the COPE report and the AG’s recommendations couldn’t have been disregarded under any circumstances.

One-time Media Ministry Secretary said that he expected Justice Minister Rajapakshe to take up this issue. In fact, the COPE should take it up as there was no purpose in watchdog committees if the executive overrode them. Planned leasing of the President’s House in KKS is a case in point, the MP said.

Responding to The Island queries, MP Herath said that he didn’t oppose SLIIT receiving the lease of KKS facility or Jaffna student population being granted special benefits. But, the concerns raised by the AG and COPE should be addressed first and all issues at hand resolved before Jaffna President’s House, too, ended up with the same lot.

The recent IMF prerequisites for the releasing of the second tranche of the now suspended USD 2.9 bn bailout package was nothing but an indictment of both the executive and legislature, the MP said. “But we seem to have ignored the warnings,” Prof. Herath said, adding that the new much-touted Anti-Corruption drive appeared to have had no impact at all.

All News Advertisement

Up Next

Dr. Shashi Tharoor to deliver Sujata Jayawardena Memorial Oration on Oct. 31st

Don't Miss

Deputy Speaker finds fault with media over ‘insufficient coverage’ of Parliament

Click to comment

Latest News

Heat Index at Caution Level in the Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Kegalle, Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts during the day time

Published

4 hours ago

2026/04/29

Priyan

Warm Weather Advisory
Issued by the Natural Hazards Early Warning Centre
Issued at 3.30 p.m. on 28 April 2026, valid for 29 April 2026.

The Heat index, the temperature felt on human body is likely to increase up to ‘Caution level’ at some places in the Northern, North-central and North-western provinces and in Kegalle,
Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts during the day time.

The Heat Index Forecast is calculated by using relative humidity and maximum temperature and this is the condition that is felt on your body. This is not the forecast of maximum temperature. It is generated by the Department of Meteorology for the next day period and prepared by using global numerical weather prediction model data.

Effect of the heat index on human body is mentioned in the above table and it is prepared on the advice of the Ministry of Health and Indigenous Medical Services.

ACTION REQUIRED
Job sites: Stay hydrated and takes breaks in the shade as often as possible.
Indoors: Check up on the elderly and the sick.
Vehicles: Never leave children unattended.
Outdoors: Limit strenuous outdoor activities, find shade and stay hydrated.
Dress: Wear lightweight and white or light-colored clothing.

Note:
In addition, please refer to advisories issued by the Disaster Preparedness & Response Division, Ministry of Health in this regard as well. For further clarifications please contact 011-7446491.

News

Treasury chief’s citizenship details sought from Australia

Published

6 hours ago

2026/04/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

Nagananda / Harshana

New controversy erupts over missing USD 2.5 mn:

Public interest activist Nagananda Kodituwakku has sought citizenship details of Finance Ministry Secretary Harshana Suriyapperuma from the Department of Home Affairs, Australia.

According to a letter dated 28 April, addressed to the relevant department, Solicitor England and Wales Kodituwakku sought the required information in terms of Section 15 of the Freedom of Information Act No 3 of 1982 of Australia. Suriyapperuma is also the Secretary to the Treasury.

The former Deputy Minister of Finance and Planning Suriyapperuma (from November 2024 to June 2025) is embroiled in a deepening controversy over the theft of USD 2.5 mn from the Treasury.

The leader of the Vinivida Foundation said that he intended to move court against Suriyapperuma for entering Parliament through the NPP National List in violation of the country’s Constitution (Article 91(1)(d)(xiiii).

Kodituwakku said: “This is clearly an accountability and integrity issue and violation of the Constitution of Sri Lanka and also this act contravenes the law of a member in the Commonwealth.”

USD 2.5 mn paid to a third party was meant to be an instalment of a loan taken from Australia. Suriyapperuma neither responded to an SMS nor answered his hand phone.

Geetha Kumarasinghe (UPFA/Galle District) and Diana Gamage (SJB National List) lost their seats in 2017 and 2024, respectively, over citizenship issues.

Meanwhile, public interest group ‘Free Lawyers’ that exposed the theft of Treasury funds questioned the failure on the part of Dr. Harsha de Silva, Chairman of Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), to pressure President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to temporarily remove Suriyapperuma to facilitate unhindered investigations.

On behalf of ‘Free Lawyers’, Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon yesterday expressed concern over the way the CoPF, under SJBer de Silva’s leadership, handled the issue at hand. Issuing an open letter, Tennakoon, urged the CoPF chief to explain his stand on a spate of vital issues which needed to be addressed without any further delay.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

News

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake handing over a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura to Ven Bhikku Pannakara

Published

6 hours ago

2026/04/29

Sahan Weerasooriya

President Anura Kumara Dissanayake handing over a sapling of the Sri Maha Bodhiya in Anuradhapura to Ven Bhikku Pannakara (Sue Tue Nhan) at the conclusion of the 161 km ‘International Peace Walk’ in Colombo yesterday. The Bo-sapling will be taken to the US by the spiritual leader. Pic by Sujata Jayaratne