Union moves court to quash alleged back door appointments to foreign missions

A trade union this week moved the Court of Appeal to quash the appointment of four persons to the Public Management Assistants Service cadre in Sri Lankan missions abroad by the Foreign Ministry, without following the laid down criteria. When the case was taken up on Thursday before a Bench comprising Court of Appeal President Justice Chandra Ekanayake and Justice Anil Goonaratne it was put off for June 12. None of the respondents were present in court. The court directed fresh notice to be issued on the respondents.

On behalf of the All Ceylon Public Management Assistant Officers Union (ACPMAOU), its president G.K. Piyadasa and general secretary W.G. Mutubanda in their petition stated that the selection criteria to appoint suitable candidates to the All Ceylon Public Management Assistants Service Cadre in Sri Lanka missions abroad were set out in the Government Gazette No.1499 of 25-05-2007.

The ACPMAOU is the successor to the former All Ceylon Public Service Clerical Union. The said gazette notification stipulates among other matters that the method of selection is based on a written examination and an interview; the written examination is to consist of four papers in Accounting, Establishment and Office Procedure, English and General Knowledge each carrying 100 marks; and those candidates who obtain a minimum of 40 per cent marks in each paper with a total aggregate of 200 marks or above at the written examination would qualify for the interview.

They stated that as per the said gazette a large number of their members sat the written examination held on August 18 and 19, 2007 and some who were successful at the written test were also called for the interview.

Consequently, a priority list of 48 candidates, out of more than 1000 candidates who sat the written examination and faced the subsequent interview as per the said gazette to be appointed as Public Management Assistant Officers, has been finalized and steps were being taken to post them to various Sri Lanka missions abroad, the petition stated.

Petitioners however complained that they have now come to know that without following the laid down procedure, the fifth to eighth respondents namely Chiranthana Jayatilake, Buddhadasa Sirisena M. Kanaththage Vijaya and Roshan Wijesinghe have been appointed as clerical officers to some Sri Lanka missions abroad effective from June 1, 2008.

The plaint was filed on behalf of petitioners by Neil Fernando, Attorney-at-Law. The first to fourth respondents in this case are Foreign Secretary Palitha Kohona, Administration Additional Secretary D.M. Ranaraja, Overseas Administration Director U.L.M. Jauhar, and Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama. (RA)