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Monk accuses Russian varsity of awarding degree for money
A Dutch Buddhist monk claims that the Rector of the International University of Fundamental Studies (IUFS) of St. Petersburg, Russia, which awarded Ven. Gangodawila Soma Thera the doctorate, had requested money from him to award an honorary Doctorate in 2001.

Ven. Olande Ananda Thera, now living in Sri Lanka, said the university, where Prof. Jayasekera is the Rector, had wanted to award him a Diploma and a Doctorate. "He asked for US $ 5,000 through. I rejected saying that I had already abandoned my Masters in Economics and Sociology when I opted to come to Sri Lanka in 1975. Then he offered it to me for US $ 2,500. When I refused that too he offered it free"

The Ven. Thera said he knew Prof. Shanti Jayasekera and his brother Sisira Jayasekera, from their childhood, when he was preparing for ordination at Uva Paranagama Temple of the Udarata Amarapura Nikaya in Lunuwatte, Welimada. An uncle of Jayasekera had been residing there, ordained as Ven. Lunuwatte Gnanananda.

"He made his first trip to Russia as an uncle was attached to the embassy in Moscow. Another uncle, Upasena Jayasekera, was the Registrar of Parliament and it was at his residence that Shanti awarded the Doctorate and Diploma to me."

Ven. Ananda Thera said Prof. Jayasekera had stated he would offer US$ one billion, given by President Bush, as aid to Sri Lanka. Although he had asked him to support the Polgasduwe Monastery in Dodanduwa he had not done so.

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