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Opposition wants probe on massive CWE pay-out
By Chandani Kirinde
The Opposition will next week request the Public Accounts Committee to inquire into how the Co-operative Wholesale Establishment (CWE) paid out US $ 200,000 (over Rs. 19 million) to the account of popular music band UB 40 in November last year.
PA MP Nimal Siripala De Silva said he would take up the issue, which is already being queried by the Auditor-General's Department.

Earlier this year, the CWE Chairman was asked to answer a query from the AG's Department on how the CWE transferred the money to the account of UB 40 in a foreign bank overlooking the routine payment procedure.

The money in question had been obtained by the CWE by way of an overdraft of Rs. 25 million from a private bank which had then been directed to forward US$ 200,000 to the account of UB 40 at Barclays Bank in London. Although the overdraft was for Rs. 25 million, US $200,000 converted to Sri Lankan money had come to Rs. 19 million.

The Bank had transferred the money which along with the service charge had totalled Rs. 19, 341,500. The request for the transfer of the money had been made in a letter addressed to a Deputy Manager of the Bank in a letter dated November 21,2002 by the CWE Chairman Lal Wickrematunga.

UB 40 had participated in the Peace Concert held in late December last year in Colombo. The Commerce and Consumer Affairs Ministry which brought down the band has maintained that no state monies were used to fund the concert.

The CWE had explained that the money in question had been forwarded by the CWE as an advance as there had been a delay in the sponsor's money coming in. However, the money had been returned to the CWE later.

The AG in the initial letter addressed to the CWE Chairman had said it is evident the monies of the CWE had been misused and that attempts have been made to cover up this transaction in the CWE's accounts and has asked for a quick reply to his query, as he would include this as a part of his observations in this report on the accounts of the CWE for the year 2002.

The Auditor General had also queried why the normal procedure of payment by voucher or obtaining the relevant documents needed for such a transaction were overlooked in this instance.

Although the money was transferred on the same day as directed by the CWE and a debit note forwarded to it, this transaction had been left out of the account books of the organization. The CWE had failed to show this transaction even in its final accounts for the year.

Another high-handed act by politico
An official of the Sri Lanka Cashew Co-operation (SLCC) has been allegedly threatened with death by a UNP provincial councillor of the Central Province and damage caused to his vehicle.

Provincial Councillor Rohana Bandaranayake is reported to have threatened the Manager of SLCC in Matale and Polonnaruwa, N.K. Jayawardena on July 1. The member had allegedly threatened the official with death by brandishing a pistol, since the manager had not stopped his vehicle when ordered to by the provincial councillor.
In a letter to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe and UNP Chairman Malik Samarawickrama the official has called for an inquiry into the incident.

Mr. Jayawardena had been on his way in the night to meet one of his officers at Himbiliyakada in the Matale area when a group of people in a cab had ordered him to stop his vehicle which he didn't thinking they were robbers.

He said that later when he stopped his vehicle somewhere ahead, about ten to fifteen people including the provincial councillor who had allegedly been under the influence of liquor had got down from the cab and started threatening him with death and using obscene language for failing to stop his vehicle when ordered.

Later the provincial councillor had fired at all four wheels of his vehicle preventing him from driving the vehicle at night and had departed after warning people in the area not to help him in repairing his damaged vehicle.

Mr. Jayawardena had said that he had been stranded at Himbiliyakada until the following day because nobody was willing to help to get his vehicle repaired.
He had lodged a complaint with the Matale police as well.

More media access to committees
The need to gradually open Parliamentary committees to the media was agreed in principle at last week's regional seminar for Asian parliamentarians held at the Parliamentary Complex in Kotte.

However, there was agreement among the legislators that a balance needed to be struck between the need for confidentiality and the need for public access to the workings of these committees. Parliamentary Affairs Minister A.H.M.Azwer said more media access to the committees would be granted with amendments to Standing Orders that will be introduced shortly.

The unfortunate feature of the seminar was the extremely poor attendance by MPs with less than ten members being present on most days despite the important nature of the subject under discussion.

The workings of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) and the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) were the main focus of discussion while the setting up of a regional network for PAC chairmen was also discussed as also the role of the Auditor-General. The theme for discussion at the four-day seminar was the budgetary cycle, oversight and public accounts committees. It was attended by delegates from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, the Maldives and Thailand.

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