If bond allegations against previous regime false, challenge them in Court: Ravi K

Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake challenged former president Mahinda Rajapaksa to go to Court if the vital details he exposed to the media about how the previous regime influenced bond issuances were false.  

The Minister pointed out that issues of this kind should not be discussed in places of worship or on political platforms. He said that the judicial system was free today to enable any faction to seek justice from any Court against perceived injustice.

Karunanayake expressed these views yesterday at the launch of Sri Lanka Customs’ new website at the auditorium of the Ministry of Finance in Colombo. The Customs Department re-launched its official website to enable customers to obtain necessary information hassle-free.

Addressing the gathering, Minister Karunanayake said that although the Government had changed, certain officers who aided the corruption of the previous Government were still serving at the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

“This is the 10th time I make this challenge to former president Mahinda Rajapaksa. He accepted none of my nine previous challenges. There is no point complaining at every junction and on political platforms. Several senior officers of the Central Bank who aided and abetted the corrupt administration of the bank, which was reigned jointly by Ajith Nivard Cabral and Mahinda Rajapaksa, are still serving in their posts. So we exposed them. Therefore, I repeatedly challenge them to go before Courts if our exposure is untrue.”

The Minister also expressed his views about the new action plan of the Customs Department.

“The proposals made in Budget 2017 were implemented and have reached successful levels. Accordingly, Sri Lanka Customs is marching fast, successfully than in the past. We all should be proud of it. However, we should speed up our pace more and more. The website we launched today will help the general public to gain easy access to Customs hassle-free. It will also create more transparency. Operations of the Customs should be fully open to the people. We speak about transparency and we implement such policies as well. Customs officials have been allowed to go overseas for further education on customs activities.

“I should remind these young officers of the Customs that we are ready to provide such facilities further if anybody needs to pursue higher studies in the sector. Ministers need not participate in this type of event. It is my duty to perform such activities in full transparency,” he stated.

Sri Lanka Customs Department Director General Chulananda Perera stated: “There are several special features on this new website. One specific item is that it was designed and developed by our staff. It is user-friendly. It will be updated constantly and a special committee has been appointed to attend to such needs.”

“We will set up a new public relations unit in the near future. The proposed unit will provide our customers with easy access to the information of their containers round the clock.”

The new website of Sri Lanka Customs is www.customes.gov.lk.