Former service chiefs implicated in shady deals

A Commission of Inquiry tasked to probe corruption in military procurements has made scathing indictments against three former Commanders of the Army, Navy and Air Force, The Sunday Times reliably learns. In the report handed over to President Mahinda Rajapaksa last Tuesday the Commission chaired by Supreme Court Judge Justice Shiranee Tillekewardena has listed the transactions where the three service commanders were involved and called for legal action against them.

One source said the Commission had called for the withdrawal of the civic rights of those concerned after a proper course of legal action but Commission sources remained tight lipped over the matter. The Commission comprised Supreme Court Judges Nissanka Udalagama and Nimal Dissanayake.

Edmund Jayasuriya served as the Secretary to the Presidential Commission which investigated the procurement of arms for the three armed forces during the period 2000-2005. The Sunday Times learns the Commission has also made indictments on a number of other senior officers in the armed forces for their involvement in suspicious military procurements.

The Commissioners were tasked with inquiring and reporting matters relating to the procurement of weapons, other military equipment, materials and services costing in excess of Rs. 100 million each by the Government during the period 2000 to 2005. The Commission inquired among other matters, if proper, documented procedure was followed to appraise and identify the need to make the relevant procurement, if due approval was obtained from the proper authority and if the modalities of the tender procedure were followed.

The Commission also probed if the contracts and or agreements entered into for the relevant procurement were subjected to proper scrutiny and/or expert advise to ensure optimum advantage to the Government in areas including age and condition of product, warranty, training, technical support, after sales service, and conformity with Government expectations and requirements.

The Commission also identified the shortcomings and /or flaws in the procurement process, and recommend procedures to remedy the same.