5th Column

My dear Dappula,

I thought I must write to you after watching you work over the past few months – and especially over the past few days when you ordered the arrest of Bond Ravi and his band of alleged bank robbers. It was a courageous step, no doubt, and a smart one too, considering the current political environment.

The citizens of Paradise have long given up on trying to choose a set of honourable men and women to govern them. They had some hope a few years ago when they booted out the ‘maha rajaa’ who had won them an unwinnable war and ended 30 years of terrorism and bloodshed.

They did so, instead installing Aiyo Sirisena in power – a man born to mediocrity, who couldn’t rise to the occasion – even though his nickname was ‘hitan’. In the end, he was a leader like no other in that he betrayed first his own party and then the party which adopted him, like no other had done before him.

However, there was a brief period under Aiyo Sirisena’s watch when the citizens of Paradise still had hope. That was the time when the 19th Amendment was enacted and when he had the courage to resist the Green Man’s sneaky manoeuvres to get the big bank boss from Singapore reappointed to his post.

He also appointed a commission to probe the big bank robbery – and that is probably where you caught everyone’s attention. You gave Bond Ravi a hard time and he had to resign – although he was shamelessly given a new portfolio afterwards. Yet, the big question for most people is ‘what next?’

They ask that question because the lot that were booted out of power for alleged acts of corruption are now back running the show, proudly proclaiming that no one among them was convicted – although that is more of a reflection of the inefficiency of ‘yahapaalanaya’ rather than their own innocence.

Meanwhile, most people who masterminded the big bank robbery are still free, and most of them are planning to contest the next elections. So, it looks like no matter who we vote for, be it green, blue or the ‘kurahan’ maroon colour that is now in fashion, we will end up again with a set of crooks.

That is why your decision to ask for an arrest warrant for Bond Ravi and his band of alleged bank robbers is important. Someone needs to teach our politicians – of all sides – the lesson that this country is not for them to loot, so they could live in penthouses that cost a million rupees a month.

However, those who will praise you for doing so are the very people who will blame you, if you try the same tactic on one of their own supporters. You got a taste of that when you tried to issue an arrest warrant for a magistrate based on what was revealed in the controversial tapes released by ‘One Shot’.

For some reason, they wanted that gentleman protected – and they went to the extent of saying that you were doing someone else’s bidding because you were appointed to the position you now hold during the ‘yahapaalanaya’ era. We do know you are only doing your job, but that is not how they see it.

Of course, no one condones what ‘One Shot’ did, or the below-the-belt tactics he used, but the irony is that he was promptly remanded but those who are implicated in his audio tapes are still roaming free, although most of the country knows what they did and many of them feel thy should be behind bars.

So, you must do as much as you can as soon as you can to clean up this mess. That is because they are already saying that they want to get a two-thirds majority so they could discard the 19th amendment. If that happens, they will try to get rid of you because you are someone who doesn’t take sides.

The real test for you will come not with Bond Ravi, but with that someone’s nephew who was our envoy in Russia and the other chap who once headed our airline. If you can get them – and those who conspired with them – their just rewards, that will be great, but we know that is wishful thinking!

We wish you well and hope that you have the courage of your convictions in trying to convict those responsible for fraud, corruption and abuse of power. In doing so, please be mindful that your days may be numbered – they may either get rid of you, or they may even give you a kick upstairs!

Yours truly,

Punchi Putha

PS: It’s a pity that you could issue an arrest warrant only for Bond Ravi. If you had the ability to issue one for you-know-who, it may have solved the crisis in the Green party. After all, there needs to be some form of opposition, because the Blue party has been well and truly murdered by Aiyo Sirisena.