The Situation Report

5th July 1998

'…Corruption exists to some degree'

By Iqbal Athas

The Censorship on both foreign and local media is one month old today.

Both Sri Lankans and those in the outside world have only seen, read or heard what an Army Censor has deemed they should know. That is during the past month when their adversary, the LTTE, is gloating over the sharp increase in the number visiting their web sites on the internet.

So, much so, last week, one of their sites gave a detailed account of a recent acquisition made by a service arm. The Sunday Times verified the contents and found them accurate. The report was sent to the Army Censor for approval but has been totally censored.

If the local media (none have been identified) were accused of passing "Sensitive military information" to the enemy, claimed to be one of the reasons for the censorship, this was a case in the reverse. The enemy was using one of its world wide web sites to spread "sensitive military information" of the Sri Lankan military.

Though for the first time in the history of the separatist war, the enforcement of the censorship has been placed in the hands of the Army, a notable exception in the areas covered has been the subject of procurements.

If this subject was included when the censorship was in force in late 1996 when "Operation Riviresa" was under way, it was specifically excluded when censorship was clamped down on June 5, this year. Senior officials of the Government Information Department who delivered to the media the proclamation declaring the censorship made it known informally that procurements had been excluded. They said the media was free to expose corruption and other irregularities in military procurements although the censorship debarred reportage of previous or ongoing military operations.

Although this fact did not receive sufficient media attention, it underscored the concern at the highest levels of the Government over the emergence of military and political mudalalis who were raking off millions of dollars or billions of rupees from the war effort.

The proliferation of this phenomenon has seen the emergence of highly powerful and immensely influential groups that went to any extent to "protect" the interests of those "helping" them.

Despite the 16 year old ongoing separatist war reaching a crucial phase, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, the commander-in-chief, was bold to concede that the malaise of corruption had crept into the defence establishment. She told the nation during a live question and answer session with the public, telecast and broadcast live countrywide, "….corruption exists to some degree in the defence sector in relation to the procurement of arms due to the confidentiality of these deals. Nevertheless, we have also endeavoured to reduce these to the maximum…"

Complaints of corrupt activity in procurements have been reaching the highest levels of the Government periodically.

They range from enormous commissions earned by those in uniform, the acquisition of property, sending their children to universities or colleges abroad and even lavish living including gambling for high stakes at the City's casinos. Needless to say that some of the complaints are frivolous and designed to malign officers. Yet, investigations into others have raised eye brows.

In a bid to further tighten procedures over military procurements and to prevent corrupt or irregular activity, President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, has named a three member team to periodically advice the Ministry of Defence over military procurements.

The team which will function in an advisory capacity (and on a volunteer basis) is headed by General Denis Perera, a former Army Commander - a highly respected soldier who is also widely known for his unimpeachable integrity. The other two members are former Navy Commander, Vice Admiral Asoka de Silva and former Air Force Commander, Air Vice Marshal Paddy (Pathman) Mendis.

The three retired service commanders recently had an hour long meeting with Defence Secretary, Chandrananda de Silva, to discuss the parameters within which they will function. Associated with the discussion were the Commanders of the Army, Navy and Air Force.

An authoritative defence source explained that the trio will function in a consultancy capacity. The Defence Ministry which is ultimately required to give approval for service procurements will consult members of the advisory committee if it needs to verify any matters relating to a particular procurement.

"The need has arisen because of buck passing. There have been instances where those responsible for procurements have tried to disown their involvement and blamed it all on the final authority. Many instances have turned out to be cases of totally misleading those concerned in the final decision making" the source said.

One of the areas where the Government's attention over procurements has come into close scrutiny is the case of the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF).

President Kumaratunga appointed a three member Committee of Inquiry headed by Christie Silva, former Secretary to the Ministry of Health , to inquire and report on alleged irregularities in the procurement of military aircraft, weapons, equipment, services and training.

The other members of the Committee are I.M. Liyanage, former High Court Judge and Vice Admiral Asoka de Silva, a former Commander of the Navy who was also one time Sri Lanka Ambassador to Cuba.

The Committee was called upon to forward its report to President Kumaratunga early last month. However, last week, the Committee wrote to her requesting a two month extension to finalise its report.

This is because the Committee is still in the process of collecting documentary evidence on matters it has been called upon to probe. Until last week, the Committee is learnt to have completed more than half of its task.

However, one of the constraints the Committee had to face has been the inability of those wanting to make representations, in the first instance, to place them in writing.

Though the Committee made a specific public appeal to that effect, inviting "written representations" with "specific relevance," those wanting to appear before it have all sought appointments.

Despite the insistence, the Committee feels it should give them the opportunity to come before it and place whatever representations they have to make.

Among those who want to appear before the Committee are two former Air Force Commanders - Air Marshal Oliver Ranasinghe and Air Vice Marshal Harry Goonetilleke.

Global Omarus Technologieis, the Singapore based firm which was involved in the controversial MI 24 deal with the SLAF has also sought to appear before the Committee.

The Committee is expected to hear their recommendations soon after its task of recording documentary evidence now available is completed and it is given the two month extension of its term. Such an extension, which seems a formality, would mean the Committee will hand over its report to President Kumaratunga in the first week of August.

(This copy has not been subjected to the Army Censor since procurements have been excluded from the ongoing censorship)

The Fifth Column

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