Who is the villain?

The controversial Colombo Municipal Commissioner Dr Jayantha Liyanage will be cross-examined on Thursday at the Commission now hearing corruption allegations against the present ruling elected representatives. Earlier Dr Liyanage gave evidence before the one-man commission headed by retired High Court Judge Chandradasa Nanayakkara in support of suspending the elected Council for its alleged wrong doings.

Dr Liyanage who returned early this week after a health check-up in Singapore told The Sunday Times that he would continue to give evidence against the ‘corrupt elements’ in the Council and said he wholeheartedly supported its suspension for the same reasons.

He said he will give ‘the proper truth’ and defend the honest members, like the Mayor. Some of the charges that are being probed are directed at Mayor Uvais Mohamed Imthiyaz himself. The Commission was appointed by Western Province Chief Minister Reginald Cooray as he was not satisfied with the answers submitted by the Mayor to a charge-sheet served on him.

Among the charges being probed by the Commission relate to the award of a solid waste management contract to a private company outside the tender procedure, a Rs.20 million fraud in the purchase of sewing machines, spending CMC money to develop a private car park, discrepancies in the charges for hoardings and ignoring tender board decisions. Interestingly, the Municipal Commissioner claimed that out of a total of 53 elected councillors 40 were loyal to him!