Corruption charges raised against Fonseka in parliament
By Wijitha Nakkawita and Irangika Range
(Several Govt ministers and NFF leader Wimal weerawansa exposed alleged fraudulent activities by Gen. Sarath Fonseka and his son in law in Parliament. We reproduce an account appearing in the “Daily News” of Jan 6th 2010)
JVP- new defender of corruption
The JVP has now become the defender of corruption. The sacrosanct gentlemen of that party were carrying on their shoulders a Presidential Candidate who had used his position to award tenders for the purchase of equipment from a company owned by his son-in-law, JNP leader Wimal Weerawansa said in Parliament yesterday.
Joining the debate on the extension of Emergency, Weerawansa said he had the vouchers, bills and amounts paid to the son-in-law’s company and the account numbers in the US though the JVP was pulling a red herring across the public eye to say the company Hycop had no contract to supply goods to the Army.
That company had tied up with an Australia based company British Borneo and the son-in-law had registered that company in the US with forged documents.
All the monies were sent to that company with a different address of registration but that address was of a friend of Sarath Fonseka’s daughter though the son-in-law owned it.
Weerawansa tabled the vouchers, account numbers and the bills and the documents regarding the registration of the company in issue.
The JVP was now trying to tell the public that their objective was to eradicate corruption but how could such a corrupt individual who used his position to engage in corrupt practices be trusted to do what he now promises.
Today only the JVP attempted to defend Sarath Fonseka in Parliament but the UNP was silent on it. For the corruption of the UNP was so high that they cannot stand up to defend other corrupt individuals, he noted.
More on arms deal revealed
Taking part in the Emergency Debate in Parliament yesterday, Engineering Services and Construction Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne said there was clear evidence that a company owned by the son-in-law of the Presidential election candidate Sarath Fonseka had been given a number of contracts to supply expensive equipment to the Sri Lanka Army, when Fonseka was the Army Commander.
There was clear evidence that Sarath Fonseka had allowed the tender board to accept tenders from the son-in-law’s company after the closing date for tenders and award the tender to that company though the tender was for the higher price question than the others, he said.
The National Procurement Agency, the authority on purchases has stipulated that no head of department should sit on a tender board if he had an interest but Fonseka sat on the board procuring arms and equipment
Lowest tender turned down unethically
Leader of the House and Healthcare Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva tabling the documents related to the procurement of equipment from a company owned by the son-in- law of Retired General Sarath Fonseka in Parliament yesterday said the lowest tender for the equipment to the Army was turned down unethically rejected to allow buy them from Fonseka’s son-in-law.
At the end of the Emergency debate he tabled the certificate of incorporation of Hycop Company and the copies of the website of the corporate partner British Borneo, a defence supplies company in Australia. Documents of the change of name of the company with the address 175/1 Gold Drive, Oklahoma the address of Retired General Sarath Fonseka’s US Green Card and a document giving the invoice for 134,667 US dollars, and the document showing that the amount was sent to the above US address were also tabled.
He said there was an investigation by the US authorities about a forged signature in the documents of changing the name of the company in question and the son-in-law had got involved in supplying equipment to the army only after Sarath Fonseka became the Army Commander. There were more such facts that would be placed before the people as these persons who were talking about eradicating corruption were more corrupt than all the others the Leader of the House said.
Aluthgamage gives JVP 24 hours to disprove deal
Power Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage told Parliament yesterday that the Government will give 24 hours to the JVP to prove that Sarath Fonseka was never involved in any corrupt arms deals or accept the fact that the party too was supporting a corrupt candidate.
The Minister said that Fonseka had powers to carry out procurement of arms below Rs 25 million. As the Chief of Defence Staff he was the Chairman of the Board passing tenders for procuring arms and ammunition.
The Minister tabled a document detailing arms purchasing made by General Fonseka and invited JVP Group Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake to read it.
We give you 24 hours to read these documents and decide whether the candidate that you are supporting is full of corruption or not.
“If they are true and honest as they describe themselves, they must resign from the campaign supporting Fonseka. If not they too will be called a bunch of thieves,” he said.
He also challenged the Opposition which goes all over the country making allegations to the effect that President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brothers involved in corrupt deals to produce any documentary evidence, so that the entire Cabinet of Ministers will resign forthwith.
11 Comments
In any other country including India even the sitting President will resign if such couruption is proved. It is time for SF to withdraw from the presidential race and spare the country. Such couruption charges irrespective of the amount goes right to the hart of leadership,
Can he be trusted with bigger budgets. This should not be swept under the carpet but debated openly to find the truth.
It may be too late. But the good old general can learn a small lesson which my Grand Ma used to teach me long time ago. "Those who live in glass houses should not throw stones at others." I'm so sorry he didnt have a vice Grand Ma like me.
Ha ha ha.....
Since the opposition leveled allegations against the government, and corruption became a main slogan on their rallies. Now, all of a sudden the government instead of disproving the allegations leveled against them, are attempting to spin the argument against Gen. Fonseka by accusing him of corruption and nepotism. In a way, what they want to say, it is not just we, but your candidate is ALSO corrupt, and that also on the arms deals front, an area in which the government spokesmen continued to deny that any corruption ever occured. Does that solve the underlying problem? It is not mudslinging that the two sides must be engaged in. What the govt needs to do immediately is, carry out immediate investigations in to each of the allegations, including those against them. They have the weapon in their hand, and it is their responsibility to make that happen, instead of mudslinging.
If any discrepancies are found in following the Tender Procedures the Government is free to take legal action against the one time Army Commander. Taking up this matter now and in parliment is nothing but political mudslinging. Suddenly how did all these facts and documents become available to the opposition members of parliment is the quesstion, It points to manupilation of democracy from the highest level.
Further if all these are true then responsiblity has to be shared by the President as Minister of Defence and Defence Secretary as well. Did they turn a blind eye? If so this may be the tip of an iceberg.
Lanka Logistics is company privately incorporated with a relation of the first lady as CEO. Also the defence secretary and other service commanders were named as directors and the activities of this company are unknown and unaudited. Since this private company deals in public money isnt this a problem in itself? Registrar of companies is registering many such companies born out of the expediencies of this government. These are mere fronts to spend public money without due authorisation or public accountability. Instead of focussing only on one tender shouldnt parliment launch an investigation into all such activities.
So now it is now all clear.SF's initial position was that He never bought any arms and the only role he played was of a technical nature.after continuous pressure from the government He changed it.his son in law was the point of contact for a friend that was another claim by fonseka.then He said that some surveillance equipment was purchased from this company when he was on leave.this guy has already broken all records by retracting all his original statements.these people should not be allowed to be in politics.SF you are exposed!!
million dollar quetion remains with if Gen Fonseka,s sonis involved in arms deal why did the government keep silent while he was in service andoffered granted promotions and offered various post to his after before his retire ment?
how can you be biased, why do you write such stupid baseless lines? do you think the usa will let SF , son in law walk away if he had given forged documents? and if weerawansa got documentary proofs how come SF is still at large? why the police & the cid they dont have or are they with SF? and I am sure if the MR & the clan got an Iota of proof against SF they would have used it long before. so please dont write such articels, people will take you for an idiot!
BUT UNJVP IS TRYING HARD TO HIDE THIS TRUTH! THIS RTD GENERAL CAN DO ANY BAD THING FOR HIS OWN BENEFIT! HIS LOVE FOR COUNTRY CAN BE SEEN BY THIS ARMS DEAL!
coruption is a problem,for the development of a country,but sinhale
nationalism and chauvenism ,also to a certain extent tamil and religious
fundalism,is more harmfull.even in europe specially in italy there is lot
of corruption.high scale coruption started during j.r.time.most of the politicians in s.l are corupt. ranjit de mel berlin
Give all those documents to the Bribary Commission or to the Auditor General for investigation.
Provide access to information to the general public so that other dealings, including what happened to the Tsunami donations, also can be scrutinized.
We are aware both SF and MR are corrupt and criminals.
If Fonny can do corruption of such vast amount of money while working under Rajapaksha's administration why did not Rajapaksha's governance prevent it if he is a good governer.? And how can we trust him again, he won't let others under his governance do the same thing? Because he has also a massed lotts of money for his own family.