Sri Lanka, a land like no other for broken

promises

By Chandani Kirinde, Lobby Correspondent

Sunday, November 08, 2015

The lofty ideals on which the United National Front for Good Governance (UNFGG)
was put together with the great promise to fight bribery and corruption and deal with
the problems faced by the people with compassion, was shattered to a large extent by
the actions of a few of its members in Parliament this week.
The voices that emanated from the floor of the House from
some lawmakers who dangled the yahapalanaya carrot
before voters to get elected not so long ago, raised some
very serious questions on whether these parliamentarians
are in to serve the public or, to further their personal
interests.

Law and Order Minister Thilak Marapona caused the biggest stir on the day that JVP
Parliamentary Group leader Anura Kumara Dissanayaka moved an adjournment
motion in the House to discuss large scale corruption and fraud that had taken place

under the previous regime with particular mention of the Avant Garde floating armoury
case.

Minister Marapona, a former Attorney General (AG), and whose one-time client was
Avant Garde Maritime Services Chairman, Nissanka Senadhipathi, while participating
in the debate, seemed to have forgotten he was speaking in Parliament and not in
court.

His speech was directed wholly at defending his client, and in his zest to safeguard
his clients interests, he went as far as to belittle the men of the Police Dept which
functions under his Ministry.

You all are slandering this man (Senadhipathi) and saying he is a rogue and he is the
biggest fraud this side of the Suez Canal, and you all are not allowing me to speak for
him, the Minister said, when he was interrupted by some Opposition lawmakers.

He went on to accuse the policemen who raided the ship that was anchored at the
Galle Port, in which a large stock of weapons were found, of doing so to score
points. Like the police raided Millennium City in 2002 to score some points, they
raided this ship too in a similar manner, he said.

What the Minister failed to say was that the infamous raid on the Millennium City safe
house of the operatives of the Sri Lanka Armys Long Range Reconnaissance Patrol
(LRRP) took place when he served as Defence Minister and his Cabinet colleague
John Amaratunga served as Minister of Law and Order during the short tenure the
UNP last held office between 2001-2004.

In contrast to his keen defense of his Client, a private individual, the Ministers
reaction to the excessive use of force by Police against protesting students,, and the

Police bungling of the investigations into the murder of five-year-old Seya, was
lukewarm.

On the other hand, Justice Minister Wijesdasa Rajapaksha, one of the biggest
proponents of the anti-corruption campaigns during the Rajapaksa regime too,
regrettably, instead of speaking to soothe public concerns about the manner in which
the law is applied in one way to the politically powerful, and in a different manner to the
common man, chose to belittle his parliamentary colleagues for their lack of
knowledge of the law, because of their criticism of the manner in which the Avant
Garde case was handled.

I told the President, the Prime Minister and the Cabinet that those connected to Avant
Garde cannot be charged for offences under the Firearms Ordinance, the Explosives
Act or the Prevention of Terrorism (PTA), and that was also the opinion of the AG, he
said.

The Minister went onto staunchly defend the AGs Department and its officials, and
accused those who speak out about shortcomings within the Dept, of undermining the
law.

It could be possible, those who speak out against the AGs Dept and the Police are
doing so because they want to drag the country back to the era when jungle law
prevailed, the Minister said, an indirect reference to the JVPs reign of terror in the late
1980s -early 1990s.

This, coming from the Justice Minister, resonated more like the rhetorical speeches
that people were accustomed to hearing often during the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime,
than a sane argument against criticism leveled at a Dept coming under his purview.

JVP MP Anura Dissanayaka who began the debate on the Avant Garde case, alleged
that Government ministers and officials have intervened to shield those connected to
the case.

Files have been hidden, officials were intimidated, and investigations stifled. The
government that came to power to fight bribery and corruption is today engaged in
doing the same thing. There are deal makers in this Government too, he said.

The Motion was seconded by TNA MP M.A. Sumanthiran who said the country is
entitled to know the exact nature of the transactions that took place involving the
floating armoury and asked the Government not to play hide and seek in this matter.

We supported the change on several fronts including on anti-corruption, but, if this is

the way the Government conducts itself, I am afraid it wont stand another year, he
said.

A few Government members voiced their frustration at the slow pace of investigations
into large scale corruption that had taken place under the previous regime.

Deputy Minister Ranjan Ramanayaka was among them. There are many allegations
that Nissanka Senadhipathi has bought over many people. There are MPs, Ministers
and Deputy Ministers, State Ministers, former defense secretaries, media institutions
and media personnel connected to him.

We came here promising to catch and punish these corrupt persons. Now, instead of
catching these thieves, they are paying those who come to catch them, he said.

Minister of Mega polis and Western Province Development, Champika Ranawaka too
voiced his dissatisfaction at the slow pace at which important investigations were

being carried out.

There is a growing perception among people that the law is lax toward influential
sections in our country. What will happen when people lose faith in the legal system?

Then people will look for extrajudicial means. This is a country which has had enough
and more insurrections. It is our responsibility to act in a manner so these are not
repeated, he said.

As JVP MP Bimal Ratnayaka said, the debate ended up largely sounding more like a
felicitation for Avant Garde Chairman Senadhipathi, than one which Government
members should have used to show they are serious about walking the pre-election
talk of dealing with corruption.

One thing was clear during the day-long debate. While UNP and UPFA members are
at each others throats, when it comes to certain issues, when it comes to
safeguarding and defending their friends in high places, they are mostly all on the
same side, while the interests of the public takes a back seat.
Posted by Thavam