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By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent
Corruption scandals that rocked the previous Government were front and centre of heated Parliament debates yesterday, with senior members of the current administration defending the controversial private security firm Avant Garde, while opposition lawmakers railed against their hypocrisy and double standards.
JVP Leader and Opposition MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake moved an adjournment motion charging that the Government had aided and abetted Avant Garde Chairman Nissanka Senadhipathi and the state officials behind the approvals issued during the Rajapaksa regime which leased state-owned weapons to privately owned floating armouries in violation of local laws.
Dissanayake recalled campaign pledges during the presidential and parliamentary elections, to address large scale corruption during the tenure of the Rajapaksa administration.
“According to the 100-Day program manifesto the establishment of a special judiciary to investigate the corruption taken place under the previous government was scheduled for 5 February. But nothing happened. Corruption charges are mounting against the current government as well. Especially on the Avant Garde investigation. Public disappointment is great. I propose this House to recover the public monies robbed, although it may not fall within the best interest of many,” the JVP Leader charged.
Minister of Higher Education and Highways and the Leader of the House of Parliament Lakshman Kiriella attempted to prevent the adjournment debate on the controversial investigation, proposing to the Speaker that according to section 84 of the standing orders Parliament is unable to discuss matters pertaining to a court case. “There is a B report 32528/2015 submitted to Galle Magistrates Court. Next hearing will fall on 25th February 2016. There is substantial evidence against Avant Garde on money laundering,” said Minister Kiriella.
However, Speaker Karu Jayasuriya allowed MP Dissanayake to continue with the adjournment debate provided that he would omit references to legal proceedings underway.
Dissanayake continued the debate, saying the Attorney General had submitted a report clearing Avant Garde from facing criminal charges. “But they say there is a possibility for the company to face charges for money laundering and bribery, but to this day, there is no case against Avant Garde in court,” the JVP Leader charged.
Opposition Legislator from the TNA, the country’s main opposition party, M.A. Sumanthiran clarified to the House the sub judice principle. “Just because a B report is filed it doesn’t confirm that the matter is pending adjudication. If there is court case that has started and the matter is pending adjudication Parliament should refrain from going into the matter. There have been rulings from Speaker before that a B report does not necessarily mean the matter is sub judice. I concur with MP Dissanayake that this is a matter of great public importance and the debate should continue”, Sumanthiran said.
The JVP Leader charged that on 10 January, the owner of Avant Garde Senadhipathi had met with President Maithripala Sirisena to congratulate him on his victory.
“Galle District UNP organiser Vajira Abeywardena arranged this meeting. Then the files went missing. Why do you keep protecting these people?” Dissanayake demanded.
He charged that many corrupt elements from the former regime were now in the Cabinet. “Ethanol importers are now your deputy Ministers. Narcotic raided a houses of a provincial councillor. Immediately the former President flew there and embraced this provincial councillor giving a signal to narcotics to back-off. Now this provincial councillor is a deputy minister in your Government seated right in front of me in this House,” said MP Dissanayake.
Sumanthiran said he had witnessed many in the government ranks nodding as Dissanayake made his remarks. Other Ministers sat quietly, the TNA Lawmaker said, confirming that the charges were all true.
“When the floating armoury was revealed first time people were aghast. It then transpired there are a few more ships- some anchored in the coast of Africa. Different names but all full of weapons, which were rented-out. In Africa you rent weapons and you know or don’t know who eventually gets to use those weapons. That is one side of the story,” the TNA MP said.
He said the second aspect was legality. “Prime Minister confirmed to this House these weapons are unlicensed. So, unlicensed weapons on high seas or crossing maritime boundaries raise very serious issues. Who are the shareholders of these companies? Lanka Logistics had as its shareholder a certain Peter Maithri Mohan Peiris who illegally sat in the chair of Chief Justice of this country illegally. He is a shareholder. Several others including secretaries to important ministries were shareholders. What were they doing with the weapons?” Sumanthiran demanded.
The TNA MP said that the weapons found have serial numbers and should be in the state list of lethal weapons imported. “But in the books they are listed as unserviceable and obsolete, condemned and destroyed. But they find them in a ship’s hauled sold or loaned to unsavoury elements in other parts of the world. God knows if ISIS is using any of these weapons,” added Sumanthiran.
Minister of Law and Order and Prisons Reforms Tilak Marapana joining the debate rejected the opposition charges and even admitted to having “legally advised” Avant Garde Chairman Senadhipathi before becoming a Minister in the new Government.
“Avant Garde is the largest corruption identified by some. Regardless of the size or scale I will not pardon any. I as a lawyer have legally advised Avant Garde owner Nissanka Senadhipathi in January this year before being appointed as a Minister. I will not try to justify my client Senadhipathi. I know many things which will shame many in this House,” Marapana said.
According to Marapana, floating armouries were stationed ships holding weapons and soldiers to prevent pirate attacks on the high seas.
“Weapons and soldiers float in international waters providing security other ships under UN guidelines,” he said.
According to the Law and Order Minister, after the war ended, the Sri Lanka Navy had attempted to provide this service and failed. “So, Rakna Lanka, a 100% state owned company was formed to handle this. But they too failed to do this and almost 200 weapons got lost,” he claimed.
Marapana said most of these weapons were found in Poland. “The UN learnt of this and that the rightful owners of the weapons was the Government of Sri Lanka. “Serio0us charges were mounted. Nissanka Senadhipathi was also engaged in providing security to fishing trawlers making use of weapons he rented from floating armouries owned by other countries. He was assigned by our Ministry of Defence to recover the missing 200 weapons. Out of the lot he was able to recover over half,” Minister Marapana said.
According to the Law and Order Minister, the Avant Garde floating armoury found at the Galle Harbour had been there since October 2014. “It is unbelievable to say that the ship went unnoticed. All weapons were accounted for and some of them belongs to foreign companies and their representatives were also traveling on this ship. These are not condemned weapons. It is true that it should have been in the high seas but on rough seas permission was given to bring it to Galle Harbour,” the Minister added, trying to provide an explanation for one of the most controversial scandals to explode with the fall of the previous Government.
