Estranged wife of Chief Justice New Deputy - High Commissioner to S.A.
Sri Lanka’s scandal – ridden foreign affairs ministry has reached an all time low under thie government headed by President Mahinda Rajapakse of which Rohitha Bogollagama is minister of Foreign Affairs.
The latest controversy is about how the estranged spouse of Chief Justice Sarath Silva was designated as deputy – high commissioner to South Africa.
With a fundamental rights petition being filed in the Supreme courts about how irregular appointments are being made in the foreign service the government is extremely concerned that the “no – Nonsense” Chief Justice would deliver another just ruling on the matter.
In order to prevent Sarath Silva sitting on the bench to hear the case a pre-emptive move in the form of appointing his estranged wife as depuy –high commissioner is being mooted
Several other controversial appointments are also being hurriedly made to the foreign service now, it is alleged.
A letter signed by some foreign service personnel is doing the rounds right now.
The letter gives out many details and raises several allegations about the prevailing nepotism and mess in the Foreign affairs ministry.
While two fundamental rights petitions have been filed in the Supreme Court asking to immediately cease all arbitrary political appointments to Sri Lankan missions abroad, there is now a rush at the Foreign Ministry to expedite these appointments in anticipation of a court ruling halting such appointments, Foreign Ministry officials charged.
The officials charged that the latest to join the list of political appointees is Manoranee Silva, estranged spouse of the Chief Justice.
"Her hurried appointment is believed to have been expedited to ensure that the Chief Justice would not sit on the bench that would rule on the fundamental rights petitions filed by two retired Foreign Service officers. Manoranee Silva is to be made the Deputy High Commissioner for Pretoria, South Africa, a post created in that capital for the first time.
"Until now there had been only a handful of Deputy High Commissioners in crucial stations such as New Delhi, Chennai and London. Isuru Balapatabadi, the son of a justice has already been posted to the Netherlands. His fiancee is a daughter of another justice raising concerns over a conflict of interests when these petitions are taken up," these officials charged.
Meanwhile, over a dozen career Foreign Service officers have been given postings within the course of last week with immediate effect. This too they allege is in anticipation of a court ruling which might order non career political affiliates to return to the country. By posting these career officers it could be argued that there are no more officers available to replace the political appointees and therefore allow them to remain in their current posts.
Interestingly Minister Bogollagama addressing the staff of the Foreign Ministry on the 1st of the year had said that the discipline of the Foreign Service demands that career officers should serve in whichever capital they are posted to without any qualms, the officials also alleged.
"R.K.S Sureshchandra from the BOI is to be posted to one of the most vital stations as the Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN in New York.
Although politically appointed, this crucial mission is headed by former Secretary to the Foreign Ministry H.M.G.S. Palihakkara. Sureshchandra is only the latest of a long list of family and friends posted abroad by Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.
This astonishing list includes the posting of his brother- in-law, Palitha Ganegama as the Deputy High Commissioner to New Delhi which happens to be where his daughter Dilshani is studying. His Sister-in-Law, Jayathri Ranjani Samarakone has also been appointed Sri Lanka's High Commissioner to Singapore where Bogollagama's son Dakshitha is studying.
It is widely known that Aminda Rodrigo, the 24 year old son of a business tycoon whose only feasible qualification to be a diplomat is being the intended son-in-law of Bogollagama is posted to the politically vital capital of Washington DC. With the pressure from the new Obama Administration mounting on Sri Lanka on its human rights record and various other issues, young Rodrigo would no doubt rise to the occasion with his ample experience.
Aminda Rodrigo is not the only "offspring of the privileged" to be made a diplomat over night. One Oceanie De Silva whose aunt is said to have close affiliations to even higher levels than Rodrigo is now posted as the Third Secretary to Malaysia. Bandula Athauda, Chameera Ranaweera, Premitha Bandara Tennakoon are a few others with politically powerful family connections, the officials alleged in an e-mail circulated among the Foreign Ministry staff.
The e-mail contains a list of some of the recent political appointments to Sri Lankan missions abroad which are given below. These are in addition to the numerous individuals who have been appointed as Heads of Mission (Ambassadors, High Commissioners, PRUN etc.). All of them the officials allege have been selected based on political affiliations, nepotism and political loyalties.
6 Comments
This is a more interesting development that Kilinochchi, aiyo!
People are not that worried about these posts being manned by the foreign service alone. They are there for perks and parties, not for the country. When the country's image takes a battering on all fronts - war is just one of them - what did they do to minimize the damage? Some can't even talk in a foreign language in an interesting manner to attract an audience, let alone give an ear.
Just because someone has accumulated qualifications after qualification, then some contacts in that order, he or she does not become patriotic enough to represent the nation, they just pursue their careers. Why do we bother about their ultimate goals?
Let sensible folks outside the diplomatic core handle the jobs, if they prove to be useful - not just qualified bores for the sake of it.
Maybe the lady has some education.
But it is unfair to say that the CJ influences ALL decisions of the supreme court, as the bench consists of at lest three judges one of whom maybe the CJ.
There are lesser posts in our missons abroad - "minister counsellor", "attache" ( of what, is never stated )- these two categories sometimes do not have even a desk to sit at, posts of clerks, drivers watchers etc.( earlier persons who had no driver license had been sent as drivers to the UK Mission & one of them had crashed an embassy car but the insurance company refused to pay as the driver had no license - he was yet learning )which are given to ayahs, friends/relatives of cronies & political supporters.
All lankan embassies abroad are closed on lankan public holidays ( sri lanka has the largest number of public holidays in the world) AND the particular country's public holidays !.Working hours are usually 9-12 am and 3-4 pm.
Blessed are those in the foreign service.
Speaking of Political appointees - the Swiss Consulate
has gone to dogs! Extension of validitiy of a Passport
was done over the counter but since a Political man was
apponted, it takes 3 weeks for such a minor task.
Further, the fee has to be remitted by Post - Chf. 14.00 and the Postal Mandate cost is Chf.18.50 !! In the Indian Embassy such remittance is costless. Truly
Sri Lankan style - no remedy is available.
ohhhhhhh,,,, it's great step taken by gov,, of sri lanka,, becouse,,, career Foreign Service officers are not working for country there working for there own ajenda(Mony,mony,mony),,,, political appointment ppl working for there country and there gov,,, that s the different,,,any way it's good move,,, taken by President Rajapaksa,,, see today how performing washington DC embassy,,, becouse of political appointment,
People from the foreign service is crap. It is clear they have studied for an exam and passed it but have no clue what it means to be a diplomat. Some of them can't even speak proper English. When you meet them you can tell they are from the freakin' boonies just from the way they behave. When the people within the foreign service is like this, why the hell are we concerned about political appointments? Even American presidents have had friends and relatives serve as ambassadors. Sri Lanka's foreign missions are a waste of money. Recall all of them, they are all useless.