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Nobody takers
He went as Defence Secretary to London but returned to Colombo last Monday as Mr. Austin Fernando. Yet, like during his departure, he had the privilege of using the VIP Lounge at the Bandaranaike International Airport.

His friend and staunch party supporter Gamini Abeyratne, Director (Operations) of Airport and Aviation Services was on hand upon arrival. He guided Mr. Fernando through the VIP Lounge. There were no Customs checks for him like when he was the top defence boss.

Even a private car and a relative who had arrived at the airport and waiting outside were taken to the VIP lounge. Why should Mr. Fernando worry when he had good friends.
Whilst in London Mr. Fernando used an international roaming mobile phone to telephone friends in Colombo. He was to tell them that he was the only one who knew President Kumaratunga would take over Defence, Interior and Mass Communication Ministries. He had a one page document, presumably from a student of political science. It made clever guesses about four different scenarios.

Mr. Fernando was critical of two Cabinet Ministers and an intelligence advisor to whom he had shown this document. They had all dismissed the forecast made. He had passed on a copy of the document to a The Sunday Times staffer. The latter was in for a shock when a friend close to the intelligence adviser telephoned him to ask whether the staffer was going to attack the adviser in the newspaper. That was for his failure to heed the former Defence Secretary's warning.

The staffer asked from where he obtained that information. It was Mr. Fernando who had sent that warning from London, it was revealed. Alia learnt that the intelligence adviser had queried Mr. Fernando about the leak and the warning. He only blushed, said one source.

Old tricks again
The spy boss and his romantic political type spent a late night at the officer's mess this week drinking scotch. Not because there were fears they would lose their jobs. In fact the boss boasted he had been told to continue in the post and wanted the political type, who has been nick named pole vaulter, to be by his side.

They were worried about some investigations about to begin. One was about moving cement meant for a state building in an official vehicle to a private place. The political type complains that a mischief maker was busy sending anonymous petitions all round about his shopping spree with the lady colleague. Even the man who works in an advisory capacity had received a copy and called for a probe. Others say kris knives are out against the adviser too.

Never say die
President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga's take over of the defence portfolio has not deterred arms dealers. An influential Israeli type was visiting the air-conditioned offices of top military officers this week canvassing more business deals.

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