corruption Archives - Ceylon Independent

5Feb

By Ceylon IndependentNo Comments

ECONOMY, Main Story

“Crisis Outsourcing vs State Capacity”

Outsourcing Sovereignty: When a Country Needs Consultants to Save It Sri Lanka did not just default in 2022. It revealed something more uncomfortable: when the crisis arrived, the State could not negotiate its own survival without renting global expertise. So the Government hired Lazard as financial adviser and Clifford Chance as legal adviser for external debt restructuring — via a Cabinet-approved procurement process, reportedly selecting from dozens of proposals. The reported fees: about US$6.9 million to Lazard and US$4.6 million to Clifford Chance — roughly US$11.5 million in all. To some, this is scandalous: “Why should a poor country pay millions to foreign firms?” To others, it is obvious: “If you’re bleeding out, you don’t haggle with the surgeon.” Both instincts are und...

13Oct

By AdminNo Comments

Editorial

Honour has departed Sri Lanka

From the bond scam in February 2015 to the Presidential Secretaries found counting proceeds of graft, sleaze and corruption in a hotel car park it has become abundantly clear that there is no Honour in Sri Lanka. Well respected ladies and gentlemen hailing from illustrious families whose personal fortunes tell a different tale altogether, have found themselves propelled forward by corrupt politicians looking to hide their sins under the cloaks of the de facto nobility. Take the sad case of the bond scam. Arjuna Mahendran was certainly not a man devoid of controversy. His previous service to the government when his mate Ranil Wickremesinghe was the PM for a short stint, was as Chairman of the BOI. He was engulfed in allegations at that period – enough to have members of the new yahapa...

8Oct

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Corruption / Expose

Karannagoda denies allegations

Apropos the news item on the front page of The Sunday Island of Oct. 07, under the headline, "Ex-navy Chief Karannagoda emerges as key suspect in killing of children", former Navy Commander Admiral (Rtd.) Wasantha Karannagoda has said it is extremely damaging to him as it is ‘full of false information giving a totally distorted picture and suppressing the truth’. Text of Karannagoda’s statement: "According to the "B" report submitted by the CID to Fort Magistrate based on evidence given by Rear Admiral Shemal Fernando on 18th September 2018 (after 8 years, for the second time) following facts are relevant: a. It is very clear that at no stage Rear Admiral Fernando "had informed me" or the Trincomalee Area Commander, about the abduction of the youth an...

SRILANKAN PAID Rs. 84. 5MN DOLLAR LOAN FINE IN 2012

8Oct

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

Corruption / Expose

SRILANKAN PAID Rs. 84. 5MN DOLLAR LOAN FINE IN 2012

SriLankan Airlines had to pay a fine of Rs. 84.5 million in US dollars in 2012 in repsect of a dollar loan obtained from the Mashreq Bank on the instructions of former Treasury Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera. SriLankan Airlines Chief Finance Manager Yasantha Dissanayake disclosed this in his evidence before the Presidential Commission investigating alleged Fraud Corruption and Misappropriation of State Funds and property at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering Services and Mihin Lanka on October 5. Cross examined by Senior State Counsel Yasli Rafeek, witness Dissanayake submitting the relevant documents said the fine was imposed for failure to abide by the conditions stipulated by the Mashreq Bank. Dissanayake said the Airline had to incur heavy expenditure on fuel during the re...

AIADMK to target DMK for its’complicity’ in Eelam War

20Sep

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

LOCAL

AIADMK to target DMK for its’complicity’ in Eelam War

The AIADMK on Wednesday decided to take on its principal rival DMK, which had been targeting the ruling party with allegations of corruption, by reviving the issue of the DMK’s “complicity” in the alleged massacre of Tamils during the final phase of the Eelam War in Sri Lanka in May 2009. The ruling party would hold State-wide public meetings on September 25, highlighting how the DMK had “betrayed” the Tamils, Chief Minister and party co-coordinator Edappadi K. Palaniswami told reporters after a two-hour meeting of district secretaries and Ministers at the party headquarters here. Contending that former Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa had, through his recent observations, made public the “secrets” regarding the “assistance” provided by the Indian government to his country duri...

Sri Lankan president’s anger over airline cashew nuts – report

11Sep

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

LOCAL

Sri Lankan president’s anger over airline cashew nuts – report

Sri Lanka’s national airline has been rebuked by President Maithripala Sirisena over some cashew nuts which had been served to him, reports foreign media. President Maithripala Sirisena has complained that, during a recent trip with Sri Lankan Airlines, he was treated to some cashews which were not fit for human consumption. In fact, the irate leader added, they were not even suitable for dogs. The airline, which has at least $1bn of debt, has yet to comment on Mr Sirisena’s outburst. The airline has been dogged by allegations of corruption in recent years, and is currently under investigation by a special presidential commission of inquiry. However, exactly what was so offensive about the nuts is unclear. Speaking at a farmers’ event in southern Sri Lanka on Monday, Mr S...

Establishment of second Special High Court gazetted

10Sep

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

LOCAL

Establishment of second Special High Court gazetted

The Gazette for the establishment of the second Special High Court for trials of bribery and corruption and highly complex financial crimes has been published on Friday (07). According to the Extraordinary Gazette notification 2087/92 issued on September 07, the Second Permanent High Court will be set up at the Hulftsdorf Court Complex in Colombo 12. Minister of Justice and Prison Reforms, Thalatha Athukorala, with the concurrence of the Chief Justice, in terms of the powers vested in her under the provisions of subsection (1) and (a) of subsection (1) of the Judicial Act Act No. 2 of 1978 has approved by the gazette notification to increase the number of permanent High Court Courts by one and the place to be established is to be Colombo. The first permanent Special High Court was...

Petition to repeal recommendations by Presidential Commission of Inquiry

29Aug

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

LOCAL

Petition to repeal recommendations by Presidential Commission of Inquiry

Former Director General and Deputy Manager of Disaster Management Center have petitioned the Court of Appeal to repeal recommendations by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption against them. Accordingly, former Director General Leonard Ravindra Mark and former Deputy Manager M.A Nishantha of Disaster Management Center have submitted the aforesaid petition to the Court of Appeal. Justice Preethi Padman Surasena and other members of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption have been named as the respondents of the petition. The petitioners stated that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry has issued a recommendation against them for allegedly causing a loss to the state by offering a tender to build T...

Special High Court issues notice to former Defense Secretary and six others

27Aug

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

LOCAL

Special High Court issues notice to former Defense Secretary and six others

Sri Lanka's three-judge Special High Court has issued notice for former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and six others to appear before the court on September 10. The Attorney General has filed indictments on last Friday (24) in the three-judge Special High Court against former Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and six others over misappropriating of public money. This is the second case that will be tried at the Special High Court which was established last week to hear cases of large scale financial fraud and corruption. Former Defense Secretary and six others including former Chairman and members of the director board of the Land Reclamation and Development Corporation (LRDC) are charged with misappropriating Rs. 81.3 million of public money for the construction of th...

First Special High Court opens for operations

21Aug

By Faraz ShauketalyNo Comments

LOCAL

First Special High Court opens for operations

The three-member Special High Court, which will pave the way to expedite trials of large-scale crimes and bribery and corruption cases, opened this morning under the patronage of the Minister of Justice and Prison Reforms Thalatha Atukorala. The Ministry of Justice officially also handed over the Special High Court to the Judicial Service Commission today. Following the handover the Chief Justice will be in charge of the Special High Court. The Judicature (Amendment) Bill enabling the establishment of the three-member High Court to hear large-scale crimes and bribery and corruption cases passed in parliament with a majority vote on 9th May. The Speaker signed the bill on 18th May enacting the Act. The first Special High Court would hear cases daily to expedite the proceedings. It ...