News
|
||||
Ex-fisheries
minister hooks JVP duo, throws down gauntlet
Former Minister Mahinda Wijesekera, who was in the centre of many controversies during the UNF regime, dismissed the allegations made by Fisheries Minister Chandrasena Wijesinghe and his deputy Nihal Galappati, both from the JVP, as nothing but mud slinging. At a news conference this week, Deputy Minister Galappati, placed the burden of proof on Mr. Wijesekera, asking him to come forward and show that he was not involved in two scandals, which he took out from a long list of allegations. Mr. Galappati charged that communication units donated under a Korean project were sold to fishermen though they were meant for free distribution. Mr. Wijesekera said the present Minister and his deputy were unable to find at least one fisherman who would back these allegations or there was a NARA project in Kirinde. Hitting back, Mr. Wijesekera queried what he described as the JVP's shameless audacity to care for public property. "Do they have a right to question about public property after they caused immense damage to it in the 1988 insurrection?" the former minister asked adding that the two JVP politicians knew nothing about fishing or ocean resources. On allegations that he had not returned state property he enjoyed as a minister in the previous regime, Mr. Wijesekera said that by July 30, he had made all arrangements to return all public property used by his personal staff and he even offered to pay for some furniture, which couldn't be traced. As for allegations that his family members owned certain companies, Mr. Wijesekera said as private citizens they had all the right to engage in a legitimate business. Meanwhile, Maligawatte police which are conducting investigation into the missing furniture said the Fisheries Ministry had not yet given an estimate of the missing items. The Crimes OIC said they were probing two complaints against the former minister and the former deputy minister and several items had been returned to the Ministry upon the conclusion of court cases. |
||||
Copyright © 2001 Wijeya Newspapers
Ltd. All rights reserved. |
