News
Sex-for-housing aid probe report ready; Red Cross to decide tomorrow
View(s):The report of a joint investigation carried out by the Indian High Commission and the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society into allegations that some officials involved with the project had sought sexual favours from women to disburse aid instalments is ready, a spokesperson said.
Mahieash Johnney, SLRCS Senior Manager Communications and Humanitarian Diplomacy, told the Sunday Times that a high level meeting would be held tomorrow to discuss the report’s findings. “The management will take a decision following the meeting and only then would we be able to determine the next steps we can take on this matter,” he said.
However, the Sunday Times learns that one officer under investigation is still reporting for work at the Kilinochchi site.
“He even took part in the monthly progress meeting held this week,” a source said on condition of anonymity.
When asked about this, the SLRCS spokesperson claimed that since the officer was facing charges, he had taken voluntarily leave from work.
Rev. Fr. S.M.P Andakumar, the parish priest of Catholic church in Kilinochchi wrote to the Red Cross higher-ups many times regarding the difficulties faced by the people who have been selected to benefit from the Indian housing project aid.
Fr. Anandakuar told the Sunday Times that soon after he came to know that the officials in Kilinochchi were deliberately delaying payments, he took up the matter with the senior officials working there but no action was taken.
He said even though the Indian housing project allocated Rs. 800,000 for each house, the Red Cross which disburses the payments had set a Rs 550,000 limit. “Building a house is extremely difficult nowadays with the allocated money. The prices of construction materials have increased,” he said.
Fr. Anandakuar charged that Red Cross officials had urged housing project recipients to buy the construction materials from a particular hardware shop. “Sometimes the money slips are not handed over to the aid recipients. They go directly to the shop owner,” he said.