By Frederica Jansz –
When contacted to find out if he was aware, if indeed an aircraft scheduled to fly to Zurich was to be changed to accommodate a personal friend and pilot who had offered to ensure the safe passage of a puppy dog for him, Gotabaya Rajapaksa turned abusive and screamed at this journalist in two subsequent telephone conversations in raw filth on Thursday July 5. Excerpts of the first telephone conversation:
“You Are Pigs Who Eat Shit”
FJ: Mr. Rajapaksa I do not know if you are aware but we have been told that a SriLankan Airlines flight is to fly to Zurich next Friday to bring down a puppy dog for you?
GR: So what is wrong with that? It is a regular flight – Yes they are bringing a puppy – it is for my wife. There is nothing wrong with that. I have every right to bring not just a dog but an elephant if I so wish – I am paying for the cargo. I have every right to bring anything I want. This is not the first time – before this also they brought a dog for me…what is wrong – I am paying for the cargo I have every right.
FJ: Absolutely. But that is not the issue. We were told that Capt. Praveen Wijesinghe has personally offered to fly to Zurich to bring this dog for you?
GR: Yes. So what? He is my friend – I have friends at SriLankan former Air Force officers who will do me favours – What is wrong with that?
FJ: But this pilot is not qualified to fly the A340 – and so initially SriLankan was pressured to change the aircraft to an A330 in order to accommodate him…
GR: No aircraft was changed…
FJ: That decision was reverted only after the President of the Pilots Guild objected …
GR: Nobody objected! If you write any bloody thing about this I will sue you! I am not afraid of the bloody courts! I have already sued you I will sue you again! That is my right!
FJ: Yes. But it is also my right as a journalist to ask you for your side of the story or clarify this story with you since it involves you.
GR: You go ask SriLankan Airlines!!
FJ: We already have. However the issue is this. Any pilot can bring down a dog – it is all about controlling and ensuring the correct air pressure in the cabin. Why should Capt. Praveen Wijesinghe be chosen despite him not being able to fly the aircraft on one sector and having to passenger as a result…
GR: So what? Yes he is passengering so what is wrong with that? I am telling you again if you write any bloody word about this I will sue your f…..g newspaper – this is the way you all wrote about the MIG deal – without checking you bloody… wrote your f……g version all because somebody told you something…
FJ: Which is why I have called you. I am not going by what ‘somebody’ told me. I called you to get your side of the story and to clarify this issue.
GR: You write one bloody word and I will sue you!!! I will sue the writer and your f…..g paper again!!
FJ: Mr. Rajapaksa are you threatening me?
GR: Yes! I am threatening you! Write every single word I have told you if you want – you write a bloody f…..g word and we will see…
FJ: Mr. Rajapaksa I called you as a journalist to inform you of what was happening and get your version but all you have done is abuse me in raw filth…
He hung up.
On Thursday July 5, I again telephoned Mr. Rajapaksa after being informed that a VIP had informed him about the matter and Rajapaksa had said he did not know an aircraft was to be changed in order to accommodate Capt. Praveen Wijesinghe to facilitate the bringing down of the dog in question. Rajapaksa had told the VIP that if this was the case he would fly the dog down on another airline.
I then decided that given the fact that he would take action on the matter and ensure there was no loss in revenue to SriLankan Airlines, I would not carry the story. I however telephoned Mr. Rajapaksa again to tell him that my decision was based purely on him promising to take action and not because he blatantly threatened me the previous day and used foul language.
Excerpts of the telephone conversation on July 6, 2012:
FJ: Mr. Rajapaksa I am calling you again because I have now been told that Mr. …….. spoke with you this morning and you had said you were not aware that the management at SriLankan were changing a plane resulting in a loss of 56 passengers in order to accommodate Capt. Praveen Wijesinghe to bring down a puppy dog for you…
GR: I warned you yesterday not to speak with me. If these pilots are idiots to change a plane for this… that is not my fault. I was doing this the right way – but these pilots are fighting among themselves. And you shit journalists listen to them. They are f……g idiots… This is not my fault.
FJ: True. But the fact is a decision like this was taken and later changed when pressure was brought on the management by senior pilots…
GR: That is not correct! I have since checked and there was no such decision.
FJ: There definitely was. However since you have promised to take action I have decided to hold the story but I want you to know that I am not doing so because you threatened me yesterday…
GR: Yes I threatened you. Your type of journalists are pigs who eat shit! Pigs who eat shit! Shit, Shit Shit journalists!!! Ninety percent of the people in this country hate you! They hate you!!! You come for a function where I am and I will tell people this is the Editor of The Sunday Leader and ninety percent there will show that they hate you.
FJ: I don’t think so.
GR: You don’t? That is your ego!! You are a shit, shit journalist. A f…..g shit. A pig who eats shit! I will go to courts!!! I will not withdraw the case on the MIG deal – this is how you wrote…
FJ: I had nothing to do with that story so I cannot comment.
GR: But I will put you in jail! You shit journalist trying to split this country – trying to show otherwise from true Sinhala Buddhists!! You are helped by the US Ambassador, NGOs and Paikiasothy – they pay you!!!
FJ: I wish.
GR: You pig that eats shit!!! You shit shit dirty f…..g journalist!!!
FJ: I hope you can hear yourself Mr. Rajapaksa.
GR: People will kill you!!! People hate you!!! They will kill you!!!
FJ: On your directive?
GR: What?? No. Not mine. But they will kill you – you dirty f…..g shit journalist.
Sunday Leader
Related posts;
Gota Has Gone To The Dog: SriLankan Airlines And A Puppy Dog For Gota’s Wife
prasanna / July 10, 2012
Donald It was your hero prabha who was hiding behind women and chilren shitting bricks …… What happend to all the money you sent for weapons ? You did not think the guns will be used agains tamils EH ?
Now no point crying over spilt milk
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Senguttuvan / July 11, 2012
Leaving Mr Gothabaya Rajapakses other widely criticised aberrations, in this instance one has to be fair. Like everyone of us, he has a right to lawfully bring in a puppy dog paying regular freight charges causing no loss of revenue to the airline. I know nothing of the change of pilots etc etc but on the face of it, this is a blitzkreig calculated to subject him to public condemnation and ridicule. Naturally, in the nature of the man, he erupted with the “F”s and “S”s in Capital letters – once more announcing to the country and the world, he does not have “it” that goes to make an Officer and Gentleman.
Senguttuvan
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Native Vedda / July 11, 2012
Senguttuvan
Good to hear from you.
“he does not have “it” that goes to make an Officer and Gentleman.”
Officer and gentleman are mutually exclusive, both don’t mix.
An Officer is ready to kill and get killed. A killer or a would be killer cannot be a gentleman by the virtue of his job.
This is one of the phrases we unwittingly picked up from English.
Am I right?
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Leelagemalli / July 17, 2014
Senguthuvan,
long time no see.
Pleased to read from you again. :)
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Senguttuvan / July 12, 2012
NV – The man was an Officer. At least as far as ranks go. And that is before he warmed the present hot-seat. An Officer by his cultured
behaviour and his exemplary inter-action with the ranks and others – gains the reputation of a Gentleman. Remember the Colonel
in “Bridge over River Kwai” played by Sir Alec Guiness? Methinks temperate and proper use of language certainly is a telling feature of an O&G.
Senguttuvan
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Native Vedda / July 12, 2012
Senguttuvan
Thanks for your comment.
However I believe all these Officers have one thing in common. Somehow they all become petty dictator themselves in thinking and behaviour.
As you would remember Lt. Colonel Nicholson (Sir Alec Guiness) was driven by his task oriented military morals, and behaves like a petty despot.
My understanding of the initial cadet training is to break disparate fine young men and build them into efficient killing machines.
Please let me know if I am wrong.
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Shah / July 12, 2012
Better words than what of sea were saying during elections.
We know some journalists have an agenda and try to make a living slinging mud at others and then blackmailing.
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Shah / July 12, 2012
Better words than what Fonseka was saying during elections.
We know some journalists have an agenda and try to make a living slinging mud at others and then blackmailing.
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Rohan K / July 12, 2012
Unfortunately we do not have a proper opposition nor a leader in the opposition who would take these messages down to the village idiots who are blindfolded by the state media. It is us, the middle class Tax payers who pay the immediate price, where as when the time comes for the village idiot who vote these guys in to understand, every thing is done and dusted.
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hansan / July 13, 2012
Who ever you are you ate your own shit by asking the Media to eat pig Shit. Fault of the brain, not the fault of the tougn this time. Education Education Education. School School School.Shame Shame Shame. Goo Goo Goo.
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shiromi Wijetunge / July 13, 2012
Hey Roshan You are ignorant as much as you are foolish.What about Biafra.There are no of countries where terrorism if you call fighting for their rights had been suppressed.
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aratai / July 13, 2012
.
Did the puppy arrive?
Why does Mrs. Gota needs so many dogs?
:-)
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kalu sudda / July 17, 2014
mrs gotta wants puppy?reason now gotta getting older nd older mechanism not working properly as his brother’s one working…so so so he get so mad or rather angry and mrs gotta can not use any mechanism try you puppies…
when person scared to war ran away from and came back as american citizen and now ruling the country one day history will tell rise and falls rajapaksas’
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JO / July 13, 2012
NUMBER ONE CRIMINAL CROOK OF THIS COUNTRY. PERSON WHO PUMP PETROL IN U.S.A NOW WORTH BILLIONS WITH SWISS BANK ACCOUNTS,
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Chris De Alwis / July 15, 2012
You have to give it to this girl. She has a talent for making something out of nothing! In terms of value and importance this is probably the most insignificant article I’ve ever read.
1. Gota didnt even know abt the change of flight.
2. the change of flight ddnt even happen at the end.
3. the entire process was quite legal! (which might be a first in Gota’s case but still…)
but she makes a drama out of it. a drama which sells!! Amazing!
Kudos to FJ. Her skill is the only thing that keeps Sunday Leader alive.
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Appuhamy / July 16, 2012
Reference article by Frederica Jansz (FJ) titled “The law is an ass…” in the Sunday Island and reproduced in the Lanka Web of 17th Oct. 2011
FJ says, “…I mourn for this country…” In contrast to this those who read her articles allege that she is anti-Sri Lanka, anti-national, anti-buddhist, anti-govt and anti-Rajapakse for defeating the LTTE and so on. Some claim the Sunday Leader is funded [Edited out]. If she says that she is mourning for the country, we would ask her to quote one article written by her showing her patriotism and nationalism to Sri Lanka.
During the war FJ wrote pro LTTE material supporting the terrorists. The UNP was against the war and conducted propaganda and ridiculed the efforts by the govt to defeat the terrorists. During the Presidential elections FJ supported the UNP and the opposition candidate.
After the war, she published the ‘White Flag’ story to discredit Sri Lanka and to demoralise the army which fought day and night to salvage the country from the terrorists.
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Rohan K / July 23, 2012
She has the right to her opinion as much as you do. However, it is good for the public to get different views than watch government news channels which as we all know blabbers rubbish lies.
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theja / July 30, 2012
I shall always be grateful to ‘Gota’ for his role played in defeating the terrorists. But if he has any future in this country as a leader it would be a change if he could set the pace by being polite to everyone-be it journalist, beggar or millionaire.
The Leader has taken a change for the better after FJ took over. I hope there will be a change in the present leaders before it is too late since we have no options with the present opposition.
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kingston / November 13, 2016
Gota is a [Edited out] IDIOT
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