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Ex- MPs to pay for overstaying in official quarters
Nugegoda District Court issues notice on former Parliamentarians still enjoying perks
Former Parliamentarians of the 2001-2004 Parliament who were issued notice by the Nugegoda District Court for their failure to pay accommodation rentals for occupying official apartments at Madiwela say they are willing to pay what is due. Former People’s Alliance Parliamentarian and the UPFA Southern Provincial Councillor Ven. Baddegama Samitha Thera had to pay Parliament a sum of Rs. 21,500 as utility bills and rental for using an official apartment located at Madiwela. Ven. Sobitha Thera said he could not pay it in time as he had mounting debts to pay.
“I still owe some Rs. 50,000 to a printing press owner who helped in my campaign in 2001,” the Thera said. Ven. Samitha Thera said he obtained loans for the election campaign to compete against billionaires at the 2001 general election but the sudden and unexpected dissolution of Parliament in 2004, just after two years left him indebted, without having the ability to pay back debts.
“I will definitely pay them,” said the monk and said he was conscious of his guilt as he had done something wrong. However, he said he did not even get the vehicle permit during the two-year stint.
Ven. Sobhitha Thera said the MPs did not receive vehicle permit permits but only received Indian made Mahendra Scorpio vehicles “that were soon rendered unserviceable,” he lamented. Had he received the permit he could have sold it and paid back the dues, he added.
The rentals and the utility bills due were deducted from their salaries. But the dues for the period they stayed after the dissolution of Parliament in 2004 could not be recovered. Sabaragamuwa Province Chief Minster Maheepala Herath was another former MP who has been noticed by the court for non-settlement of dues.
The Chief Minister said e had already paid Rs. 48,000 one month ago even before the incident was reported in the newspapers.
Former Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) Batticaloa District Parliamentarian Gnanamuttu Krishnapillai, a member of the Eastern Provincial Council who owed the highest amount – a sum of Rs. 170,100 – said that as he was newly appointed to Parliament he thought all his bills were deducted from his salary. He said that he had to live in the official quarters even after the dissolution as it was abrupt and totally unexpected.
“It was difficult to find accommodation at that time due to security reasons,” he said. He believed what is due to the Government should be paid. He said he did not receive the letter of demand sent by the Secretary General of Parliament as he did not live in his official quarters in 2006 in fear of possible LTTE threats. “I am ready to pay the dues now,” he said.
Justin Galappatti, a former Matara District UNP MP and currently UPFA member of the Southern Provincial Council said he had to use the official accommodation for four months after the “sudden and undemocratic” dissolution of Parliament in 2004. When he received the letter of demand from Parliament demanding Rs. 28,000 he said, “I wrote back to the Secretary General asking him to recover from my salary as a member of the provincial council any unpaid money, but that was not done.”
“But now I have fully paid my debts,” Mr. Galappatti said. Former Trincomale District MP K.M. Thoufeeq also received the notice regarding the non-payment of Rs. 30,100 due to Parliament. “I simply forgot to hand over the keys of my official apartment in time,” Mr. Thoufeek said. He had handed them over only after four months had elapsed, he said.
“I did not receive the letter of demand as I was out of the country, therefore I could not pay the dues,” adding that he would pay them in the coming week. Former People’s Alliance Kandy District MP and presently UPFA member of the Central Provincial Council also said he too had been noticed by the court for having failed to pay Rs. 4,300 and added he would pay it soon.
Former Kurunegala District UNP MP D.M. Bandaranayake (Rs.20,500), former Matale District UNP MP Sanjeewa Bandara Kaviratne (Rs. 18,500), Wanni District TULF MP Raja Kuganesawaran (Rs. 34,000), former Hambantota District UNP MP Siri Andrahennedi (Rs. 43,500), former Badulla District UNP MP Upali Samaraweera (Rs.17,000), former Kandy District UNP MP Lucky Jayawardane (Rs.20,600), Nuwaraeliya District MP S. Sathasivam (Rs. 71,300), former Kalutara UNP MP P.D. Abeyratne (Rs.44,300), M.A.M. Maharoof (Rs. 77,200), M.B.A. Aziz (Rs. 35,600) and M. Abdulla (Rs. 77,200) were also issued notice by the court to pay the amounts due from them given above against their names. Parliament Deputy Secretary General Neil Iddawela said a monthly rental of Rs. 1,000 is charged from the MPs residing in the three-bed room luxury apartments at Madiwela which has 120 units.
He said that it took some years to start the court proceedings against the former MPs as there is a long procedure involved.
Mr. Iddawela pointed out that first the correct amounts due should be calculated. “Then we started the negotiations with the MPs to recover the money with institution of legal action being the last option,” he noted.
“Had they been re-elected it would have been easier for Parliament to recover their dues,” he said. Finally the Attorney General’s Department was instructed to institute action against them, he said. Nugegoda District Judge Namal Bandara Balalla issued notices on these former MPs to appear in court on July 16.
The Attorney General filed individual actions against them in the Nugegoda District Court to recover a total of Rs. 769,000 from 18 former MPs due from them as rentals between December 5, 2001 and February 7, 2004. Senior State Counsel Sumedha Jayaweera Bandara appearing for the Attorney General told court although the former MPs had been granted a grace period to pay the arrears they failed to do so.
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