Sri Lankan satellite a hoax by MR Govt: Malik

Monday, 21 November 2016 00:08 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The much publicised launch of a satellite from Sri Lanka during the previous Government turned-out to be a hoax carried out by the Rajapakse regime. According to Minister of Development Strategy and International Trade Malik Samarawickrama, the particular company planning to launch the satellite fell short with its investment and no records of a launch have been found.

SupremeSat Ltd, a company engaged in goods transportation had entered into an agreement with the Board of Investment (BoI) on 23 May 2012 to establish a satellite technology system and provide telecommunication facilities to local operators. “The Company informed the BoI of a total investment of Rs. 1.8 billion. But such an investment was never made. There is no proof with regard to the expertise of this particular company in satellite-related businesses. I don’t think such a satellite was launched at all,” said Samarawickrama in response to a question raised by JVP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa in Parliament on Friday seeking an oral answer.

Emphasising the questionable nature and behaviour of the company, Dr. Jayatissa said: “They claimed to have launched a satellite on 27 November 2016 by the name of Supreme Sat 1. The company planned on investing Rs. 27 million for the project. But in terms of their expertise and experience, Supreme Sat ltd. only had a cargo business. It is true that they were experts in transporting goods from one place to another. So, in the absence of an investment and knowhow, it is indeed a question what happened to this satellite.”

MP Jayatissa, bringing up how former President and Kurunegala District MP Mahinda Rajapakse’s youngest son Rohitha was a part of the deal said: “The Lankadeepa edition of 18 November 2012 has an article about the satellite launch. It has quoted Rohitha Rajapakse who claimed to have issued the necessary instruction to fix equipment required to launch the satellite and other related instructions. He had also planned to come forward a few days before the launch.” (AH)