Defence Ministry issued contradictory letters in Agriculture Ministry building case : Witness

A state official has admitted that the Defence Ministry issued contradictory letters over a request made by the Agriculture Ministry to purchase its 'Suhurupaya' building in Battaramulla.

Explaining the decision for not granting the building to the Agriculture Ministry, Palitha Samarasinghe, a former Defence Ministry additional secretary (Technical) said that certain floors of the building had been allocated to the Megapolis Ministry at that time.

Samarasinghe made these remarks while giving evidence before the Presidential Commission probing state sector corruption yesterday (Sept 4).

The Agriculture Ministry had vacated its building in Battaramulla after cabinet approval had been granted upon a proposal by the Prime Minister to use the building for the activities of the Parliament sectoral oversight committees.

Following a failed attempt to occupy the Defence Ministry's building, the Agriculture Ministry had then rented out a building belonging to D.P.A. Jayasinghe Company at a massive cost of Rs 21.5 million per month in 2015.

The Commission had pointed out that there had been some suspicious interest to purchase the D.P.A Jayasinghe building since the Defence Ministry had sent contradictory letters over the matter.

It had been revealed before the Commission that one letter had been sent to the Prime Minister stating that the building could be given to the Agriculture Ministry while Mr. Samarasinghe, who gave evidence, claimed that it had been allocated for the Megapolis Ministry.

However, he had not been able to produce documented evidence to prove his claims during yesterday’s sitting.

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