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EAM officials axed over anti-Vass email
View(s):A Sri Lankan diplomat posted to the SAARC Secretariat and the Director General of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of External Affairs have been relieved of their responsibilities. The move follows instructions sent to the ministry from New York by Sajin de Vass Gunawardena, Monitoring MP for the External Affairs Ministry.
He is accompanying President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is attending the 69th sessions of the UN General Assembly.Prasanna Gamage has been attached to the SAARC Secretaraiat whilst P.M. Amza, who has a span of nine continuous years serving abroad in the diplomatic service, was the Director General of Economic Affairs.
Mr. Amza had earlier served as Deputy High Commissioner in Chennai during the ‘war years’, and later in London, Frankfurt and Brussels. Both have been moved to the “pool,” the name given to EAM officials who are sidelined. They do not have a desk or a chair at the EAM and are required to only sign in.
They are allowed to go home after reporting but are required to return to office and sign off.
At the centre of the transfer order by Mr. Vass Gunawardena, who wields strong clout in the running of the EAM, is an e-mail. Allegedly initiated by Mr. Amza a copy of it had been sent to Mr. Gamage. He had, it is claimed, forwarded it to other unidentified persons with his own endorsement. The e-mail, authoritative sources in New York said, was critical of Mr. Vass Gunawardena.