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Who ate what?
Military Police in- vestigations into a company responsible for food
supplies to the Army is sending shock waves reeling down the establishment.
As year after year of supplies are being probed, the amounts involved
is said to have exceeded the Rs 60 million mark.
Investigations have revealed that only some 80 per cent of the required
volume of food items had been supplied. The money saved from the remaining
20 per cent, it is alleged, had been shared by the supplier with some men
in the unit receiving the supplies and some involved in procurements.
According to highly placed sources, some senior officials are among
those to be put on the mat over these deals.
At the time supplies were being effected, military Police discovered
that some officers and other ranks had received gifts from the supplier
including TV sets, video cassette recorders, radios, refrigerators, electronic
calculators and cameras.
Oliver's advice
"Why do you think we are paupers or something," retorted the
outgoing air chief, Air Marshal Oliver Ranasinghe, angrily when asked about
the number of houses he owns. That was during his eve of retirement news
conference on March 5.
No ! No !! Alia for one would not accuse the good old Commander of being
a pauper. Certainly not.
But, the subject of houses appears to have pre-occupied him quite a
bit that day. He spoke again, though it was not about ownership.
That was soon after he finished his farewell speech at a dinner at the
SLAF base at Katunayake. He sat down, but moments later rose again casting
tradition aside, to impart some words of wisdom. He said
"When you are living inside a house, do not speak outside about
what is going on inside.."
Bravo !! Very good advice. Well done indeed, Sir, though many had found
it difficult to remain deaf to what they heard and blind to what they saw.
But for the poor scribes, there was no one to speak about the gun toting
goons who not only walk into their houses but hold automatic pistols at
their temples and chests. And now comes another chapter in the episode.
Who came up with the idea of surrendering a few people to the inquiring
sleuths with a cover up story ? That was early this month. Why did they
drop the idea ? Whoever thought of it knows quite a bit. Don't they ?
Anton ill
News is just filtering in from the Wanni that LTTE's ideologue and theoretician,
Anton Balasingham, is ill and bed ridden.
A diabetic, his Australian wife Adele (or Akka to the cadres) was known
to administer insulin injections to him in the past. Reports say his condition
had deteriorated.
It was only on Thursday the LTTE said that Balasingham had written "an
analysis" on Assignment Colombo - a book written by former Indian
envoy, J.N. Dixit, for the February-March issue of their official organ,
Viduthalai Pulikal.
Reports claim Balasingham carried this out before he fell ill.
Special Assignment
Editorial/Opinion Contents
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