Acting Chairman- Ceylon Petroleum Corporation (CPC), Wasantha Ekanayake was removed on Friday owing to differences of opinion on a range of issues with the Government agencies.
On the same day, Petroleum Minister Susil Premajayantha appointed Deputy Treasury Secretary Dayananda Widanagamachchi as the new acting Chairman, a senior official of the Ministry said.
He didn’t give reasons for the changes, the second acting Chairman appointment in less than seven weeks to the crisis-ridden State institution. Mr. Ekanayake, also a senior Treasury official and a Board member of the CPC, on January 14 replaced controversial CPC Chairman Harry Jayawardena who has had running battles with the Minister, and was accused of interfering with Tender procedures and of other procurement malpractices.
Other sources said Mr Ekanayake was removed because he questioned the CPC procurement processes and asked Mihin Lanka, SriLankan Airlines and the Ceylon Electricity Board to pay up long overdue bills.
Neither Mr. Ekanayake nor Minister Premajayantha was available for comment, with the latter going on an official overseas tour shortly after the removal of Mr. Ekanayake.
The Ministry official said that, a permanent Chairman is to be appointed by President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Other sources said former CPC Director, who is also a Lanka Sama Samaja Party stalwart, is tipped for the post. |
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