Diplomatic devilry at public expense
This is the story of a one-time Cabinet Minister who had a fleeting albeit flamboyant lifestyle after his elevation to greater heights. He, with his family, travelled only first class, stayed in posh hotels and refused to travel in cars if they were not Mercedes, Volvos or a Rolls Royce.
The Minister chose a Sri Lankan diplomatic mission in an Asian country, where a sister-in-law was appointed by him as the head of mission, and went on to increase the vehicle fleet. One more car and a driver were assigned to that mission.
The exact reason for this Ministerial indiscretion is now out. The car and the driver were not for use by the Sri Lanka diplomatic mission in question.
The Minister's son who is attending a university in that country used it. He is living in an apartment there. The Embassy driver has to take him wherever he wanted to go. So, while sister-in-law played nanny, the Sri Lankan taxpayer met the expenses for the kid's transport.
There were more stories spilling out from the office he lorded over now that the electors have bid him farewell. One spoke of how the other half of the Minister accompanied her husband to a fashionable European capital. The head of mission there had booked a luxury hotel for the couple as was expected of her.
The madame was incensed that the flower arrangements in their suite were not good enough. "See how ugly they are. Get them changed immediately," she ordered the head of mission. The latter, a senior career officer who feared reprisals, promptly attended to the request. The shock came long after the Ministerial couple left. The bill for the new floral arrangement was a cool US$ 3,000 (or more than Rs 339,000).
On the same trip, the woman was to berate the lady head of mission for holding a reception at her official residence. She had done so to cut costs. The envoy was told that the reception should have been held in a star class hotel. All that the head of mission could do was apologise profusely. She feared she would be sent to 'Siberia', the old term still used by bureaucrats to refer to being moved out to a 'difficult station'.
Some high-ranking officials in the Ministry concerned say there was a strong need to probe so many of these transactions; the trips, the parties, the appointments, the favouritism. They say exposing such activity would not only be a deterrent to a new Minister, but will also confirm that the Government does not tolerate extravagance at the expense of the public.
Stripped Bogols tries various tricks
At least five heads of Sri Lanka diplomatic missions and some senior staffers including relatives were in Colombo recently.
All of them wanted to ensure that their boss, then Foreign Minister Rohita Bogollagama, won a seat to Parliament from the Colombo District at the April 8 general elections. They were disappointed that he lost.
Most hurt was someone nick-named by her colleagues as On Her Majesty's Service or OHMS, one of those heads of mission. It was only days earlier, she sent a minion from the Minister's operational base at Horton Place to buy two hamburgers and two coffees from a Barista coffee shop nearby.
The minion was asked to send them into the room where the Minister and OHMS were huddled together. With her Minister losing the polls, she is now worried about her own plans for the future. How will a newly appointed Foreign Minister take to her, seems the worry; while others say "no worries, she knows how to survive".
Mr. Bogollagama in the meantime has been asked to hand over all official property - nearly 40 vehicles, the official bungalow etc. etc, - before Tuesday. Just the day after the polls, ASP Chula de Silva from the Ministerial Security Division (MSD), who was in charge of the Foreign Minister's security detail was withdrawn from guarding the ex-Minister.
Yet, he tried to enter Parliament through the National List and retain the Foreign Affairs portfolio. Last week, he called on Most Venerable Tibbotuwawe Shri Sumangala Thera, Mahanayake of the Malwatte Chapter and Most Venerable Udugama Shri Budda Rakhitha Thera, Mahanayake of the Asgiriya Chapter. He made a fervent plea that they tell President Rajapaksa to appoint him as an MP on the National List and make him Foreign Minister again. "If I am nominated to Parliament, that would be a great strength to me," he said.
Following Bogollagama for meetings with the Mahanayake Theras was National Freedom Front parliamentarian Nandana Gunatillake.
He struck a different note. Since it was difficult to accommodate him on the National List, he asked the prelates to use their good offices to ensure he is appointed to an important Government job.
Plots for national slots
His campaign slogan included one that said hatara wateytama Muzammil or Muzammil in all four corners. Yet, the UNF candidate lost.
Now, he is lobbying the Muslim clergy, businessmen and what have you. He wants them to pressure UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to appoint him on the National List. The reason is that there is no Muslim representation in the Colombo district. For some reason, the Muslim voters of Colombo seem to have voted for the UNF but not given enough preferences to any of the three Muslim candidates they had to pick from.
A similar campaign is under way by Democratic People’s Front (DPF) leader Mano Ganeshan. He seems to have lost the Kandy district even though Nawalapitiya has to re-poll.
He wants UNF leader Wickremesinghe to appoint one of his party men on the National List since there is no representation of Northern Tamils in the Colombo district. This is despite Praba Ganeshan, his brother being elected as a UNF MP. Mano argues that Praba represents only upcountry Tamils. Hence, his party wants DPF Secretary Nalliah Kumara Guruparan appointed.
The UNF hierarchy seems to argue that the UNF may not have a Colombo Tamil elected (nor did they offer a candidate to the people of Colombo), but they have M. Swaminathan, a lawyer on the National List, and he now almost a 'dead cert' to get nominated into Parliament - as the representative of the Colombo Tamils.
Lucky treatment
A former UNP MP was lucky enough during the campaign for
parliamentary elections on April 8.
He found his security was enhanced. He also had the full support of the Police. Others in a Uva town were envious over the privileges the lucky man received.
Prison MP signs Vajira petition
A Kalutara district UNF candidate, who won the April 8 elections, is now in remand prison for allegedly attacking rivals.
This week, jailors saw him signing a petition to UNF leader, Ranil Wickremesinghe.
It had been signed by a few newly elected UNF MPs. It was a request that Vajira Abeywardena, who was defeated in the Galle district, be appointed on the National List.
Fallen tycoon's golden move
Even if their empires crumble and they cannot account for millions of rupees, some entrepreneurs are quick to think of new ideas.
One man who enjoyed the trust of thousands of unsuspecting depositors could not pay back. He served periods in Remand Prison and cases are now pending.
He has now formed Sira Mithuro (Friends of those in prison). The organisation is to care for the families of those who are handed down prison sentences or are in remand. One might suggest that he extend this organisation to Absconding Mithuro as well (Friends of those Absconding). |
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