with LTTE
suggestions included the shifting of the Presidential Secretariat to a location near Parliament.
Weliamuna inform Government leaders that the Attorney General of Dubai objected to the
freezing of the funds on the grounds that no action has been taken against the young Sri Lankan
politician in question nor has he been convicted in Sri Lanka? Here is an open challenge for
Mr. Weliamuna to come out with the truth instead of replying this newspaper through third
parties.
Rajithas take on Dubai accounts
It was just last week that we reported that none
other than President Maithripala Sirisena asked
Weliamuna to give a news briefing on the progress
of the major efforts he spearheaded. He backed out
on the grounds that it would hamper further
inquiries. This week, in the wake of reports in
these columns, he was telling Government VIPs
privately that his efforts would be successful
within weeks whilst proclaiming publicly that the
accounts revealed in these columns were wholly
untrue. The Sunday Times has learnt that the
matter has now gone beyond, with different state
agencies being invited by the powers-that-be to
take part in the process and to be consulted a
matter that should have been done much earlier. It
is salutary that there has been re-thinking. It is
clear such a development came only after
disclosures in these columns.
Once more, keeping the Sri Lankan public and the
world outside informed of developments was done
by official Government spokesperson Minister Rajitha Senaratne. What he says after the
weekly ministerial meetings are mostly the official Government position. He did confirm what
the Sunday Times reported. On Thursday, he faced further questions at the news briefing that
followed the previous days ministerial meeting. Here is a brief Q & A:
Q: The attempt to reover the black money detected in Dubai has failed?
A: That is not correct. That is some newspaper report. The financial side of it is different.
Q: You mentioned earlier that eight accounts have been detected?
A: Yes, that is correct. The investigations are continuing. What they have said is that the
account cannot be frozen now. We do not want to freeze it, but want to first find out the
information. That is the most important thing to the country.
Q: But, isnt the progress insufficient?
A: That is a secondary thing. What they have said is that the accounts cannot be frozen until the
investigations are completed. That is correct according to their regulations.
International Criminal court. He was Special Prosecutor in the Prosecutors Office in Japan.
Prof Peiris made this request on April 14, 2014.
What is the question to be resolved? In August 2005, the then Foreign Minister Lakshman
Kadirgamar was assassinated. Four months later, the Tigers were given money. The voters in
the north were told to boycott the presidential elections and victory was achieved. Is there are a
link between the assassination and this. We cannot say No. We know that the LTTE was
responsible for the assassination. We are aware that these discussions took place at Temple
Trees. Was the money given to them? Is it because they are scared that the truth will be
revealed before the Commission. That is our question.
After that no action was taken against the LTTE. Why was Mavil Aru anicut captured? There
was a conflict in the Government. JHU (Jathika Hela Urumaya) MPs, some other MPs and the
Army were against it. Ven (Athureliye) Rathana Thera went there and protested that no action
was taken against the LTTE and the war started unexpectedly.
Thereafter what happened? The LTTE took some 300,000 people (civilians) hostage in the
Wanni. Later they moved to Mullaitivu when Kilinochchi was captured. If the LTTE did not
take the people hostage the issue would not have aggravated. That was one reason, but the other
was the Indian elections. They assumed that the Bharathiya Janatha Party (BJP) will win the
elections and will form a government with the support of Jeyaram Jayalalitha in Tamil Nadu.
The Government instructed the Army to end the war before the Indian elections.
The Army acted accordingly. The White Flag issue came up thereafter. When the LTTE
members were coming with white flags, the Commanding officer there should have decided
whether that was a genuine surrender or a ploy to carry out an assault. But in this instance, the
decision came from Colombo and was passed down to the Army. It was not a decision taken in
the battlefield. Why did that happen? Whom did they want to rescue? They wanted to safeguard
Pulidevan who made that deal (taking money in exchange for the LTTE telling the people to
boycott the 2005 presidential elections) in November 2005. We will speak the truth. Who gave
money to save Pulidevan? Who put the deal through during the Presidential election (2005)?
There are people here who are aware of it. The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) members are
aware of it. Here, they speak of safeguarding innocent people. But what is the truth. Why was
the need for Pulidevan to be rescued? I do not like people being killed. But Pulidevan should be
responsible for the destruction of Tamils.
If Pulidevan was not there they (the former Govt) could not have come into power. It should
have been a decision of the Army to accept or not to accept a person coming with a white flag.
What followed was the visit to Sri Lanka by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. A joint
statement was issued by the Government and the Secretary General, saying that they will look
into allegations on violations of human rights and international humanitarian law. That was
approved in the General Assembly later. Thereafter, again they (the then Govt) went before the
three-member UN panel of experts (Darusman Committee) and said that the Military or Civil
law will be applied if our military has violated any laws. Now they shed tears about the
military.
(The joint statement that Wickremesinghe referred to was released in Colombo on May 23,
2009. Among other matters it said, Sri Lanka reiterated its strongest commitment to the
promotion and protection of human rights, in keeping with international human rights standards
and Sri Lankas international obligations. The Secretary General underlined the importance of
an accountability process for addressing violations of international humanitarian law and
human rights. The Government will take measures to address those grievances.)
We are aware how (now Field Marshal) Sarath Fonseka was thrown into jail. After the
Presidential election,
when the Elections Commissioner ordered that security be provided to him, the commandos
guarding him were drawn out and made to kneel in front of Cinnamon Lake hotel. (This was
after it was known that Fonseka had lost the presidential election to Rajapaksa). What was the
crime committed by them. They are the persons who fought the war for us. Do not speak about
the soldiers. Get their pardon first. Today, who are against the proposed mechanism? It is the
Diaspora groups supporting the LTTE, extremist Tamil organisations in Tamil Nadu, extremist
Tamil groups in Sri Lanka and the so called patriotic Colombo group.
This is the group which put themselves together after the assassination of Mr Kadirgamar.
These are the persons opposed to the proposal. They have a common objective. They want to
divide the country and protect their privileges. We gained a mandate from the people in January
and in August after disclosing the truth. We gained an endorsement from the public for a new
political culture. No one will be able to obstruct the journey we have started. Under the
leadership of President Maithripala Sirisena we will proceed forward. We ourselves will
develop the mechanism. Please give your valuable ideas towards this. The council made up of
religious leaders is new. We should obtain their views as well on resolving this issue.
Commission reports presented to the House
Just a day ahead of the debate, Wickremesinghe tabled in Parliament two Commission reports,
one from former High Court Judge Maxwell Paranagama and the other from retired Supreme
Court Judge Nissanka Udalagama. The Paranagama report, extracts of which appear elsewhere
in the Sunday Times today, has bolstered the Governments case for a domestic inquiry
mechanism with international participation. Premier Wickremesinghes statement in Parliament
is a forerunner to one of the key aspects that will come under investigation by the domestic
inquiry with international support the links between the assassination of the then Foreign
Minister Kadirgamar and the large cash donations to the LTTE to prevent those in the north
from exercising their vote at the 2005 presidential election. Members of the Rajapaksa family
and those who facilitated the handing over of funds would become answerable. That would
include businessman Tiran Alles who has declared publicly at a news conference that he had
been an interlocutor and was present when monies were handed over. Particularly for
Rajapaksa, this would naturally increase concerns. Some of the ongoing investigations centre
on him or members of his family. This is at a time when he finds himself isolated within his
own party, so much so he is shying away from the limelight and even declined to speak in
Parliament on Friday when a direct allegation was made against him by the Prime Minister.
Avant Garde probes
Another issue that is pre-occupying the Government is the ongoing probes by the Criminal
Investigations Department (CID) on discrepancies in the number of weapons on board MV
(Motor Vessel) Avante Garde. It had set out from a Red Sea port on September 15 and had
reached the Galle Port on October 13. The case was handed over to the CID by Police Chief
N.K. Illangakoon.
Different views have now emerged on whether charges could be framed in court over the
discrepancies. One view is that the vessel had been boarded and discrepancies discovered in
international waters. However, others argued that the vessel flew the Sri Lanka flag and
therefore Sri Lankan agencies could legitimately board it even outside territorial waters.
Customs statistics show that the vessel belonging to Avant Garde Ltd., whose captain was
Ukranian national Gennady Gavrylov, had declared it held 549 T56 automatic weapons (550
were found), 264 semi-automatic weapons, 173,693 rounds of ammunition (quantity found
175,694) and other different varieties of ammunition. However, according to CID sources,
there was a discrepancy with over 400 weapons belonging to Rakna Arakshaka Lanka Limited
and a further 600 weapons belonging to foreign sources.
Furthermore, these sources say there were 59 weapons which had no registration. We are now
trying to determine the fate of them, the source said. The CID source added that according to
CID findings, the Defence Ministry has given clearance to carry only 100 weapons and not
more than 60,000 rounds of ammunition. There are clearly differences in the accounts by the
Customs and the Police.
President Sirisena told the previous weeks ministerial meeting that the probe against Avante
Garde over the latest find was continuing. He said he had also directed an investigation to
determine how a middle level official in the Ministry of Defence had issued a letter to clear
weapons on board the MV Avant Garde and it was now under way.
There is no gainsaying that the coming weeks are significant to the Government in many ways.
A budget, which Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake says is revolutionary, would be
presented on November 20. The critical question is what it holds for the common man and the
working class. The drop in the US dollar vis--vis the rupee has led to a rapid rise in prices of
essential consumer goods and even medical items. The public frustration is rising over the
failure to fulfil promises to deal with the corrupt including those who looted the countrys
wealth. To add to that, unprofessional approaches to freeze the wealth of a young politician in a
Dubai bank have frustrated Government intentions.
The German Ambassador in Colombo made a stunning speech this week at an event organised
by the Business Council of the Chamber of Commerce. He said the new Government had still
not introduced a proper economic policy framework to attract foreign direct investment. This is
a clear indication that the country lacks the capability of implementing an economic
development framework. The Ambassador with a background in economics, said although Sri
Lanka has a huge Cabinet with 48 (now 49) ministers, there is hardly anything to see that the
movement of the economy was at the anticipated level. All in all, the voter looks to greater
relief like the business and commercial sectors. How much will be done for them is the
challenge for the Government.
Posted by Thavam