Information handed over by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) to Sri Lanka’s RTI Commission on 26th July 2022 has revealed that approximately 26.6 million of public funds had been spent by the Government for the travel, accommodation, food and other expenses of former Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, his wife Shiranthi Rajapaksa, his son, Yoshitha Rajapaksa who was also his Chief of Staff, his Secretary Gamini Senerath, his Chief Coordinating Officer Malaka Chandradasa and other officials to travel to Italy in September 2021.
The information was released on the RTI Commission directing the PMO to respond, on June 15th 2022, dismissing its objection that national security/security of the Prime Minister prevented the release of the information. The appeal to the Commission had been filed in February 2022 by K Dileepamuthan, a journalist based in the country’s Northern Province
Media reports at the time were to the effect that the former Prime Minister’s travel to Italy for a period of several days had been for a ‘diplomatic’ visit though no exact details were given except attendance at a conference organised by a non-governmental organisation. His travel had incurred expenditure to the tune of approx 1.3 million for food and other expenses, 8.6 million for airfare expenses and 16.6 million for other expenses. Several controversies occurred during this trip including reports that Rajapaksa had been booed by Sri Lankans living in Italy
The wastage of taxpayers’ money on foreign jaunts of Sri Lankan politicians had been a major focus of the peoples’ struggle against corruption and squandering of public money during the past several months in the country, drawing thousands of ordinary Sri Lankans to the streets. Presently, a sizable segment of the population has catapulted into poverty, unable to afford a single square meal for the day.
Reports abound of desperate mothers and fathers committing suicide as they are unable to feed their children with skyrocketing inflation and the lack of steady income. The nation’s once admired free public health care system is also in dire straits with patients unable to be given free medication from hospitals and unable to pay for that themselves.
Notably the request for information in this instance had been filed by a journalist of minority Tamil ethnicity in Jaffna who had asked for the information based on the public interest under the RTI Act and upon being refused, had appealed to the Colombo based RTI Commission which had ordered the release of the information.
Paul / July 31, 2022
Money well spent then! Here are Cheerio Sirisena’s trips https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_international_presidential_trips_made_by_Maithripala_Sirisena
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leelagemalli / July 31, 2022
I am telling you that I have already spoken to the management of that prestigious hotel in Italy during that time and all the true data they have released about the suite that Btich’s son and his family abused at the expense of Sri Lankan people. But during that time, the media fraudsters of Sri Lanka did not contribute much to it.
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Our media (television and print media) is a media that acts mlechcha (heartless) as politicians.
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They know how to make easy money on people’s stupidity and vulnerability.
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Mahinda Rajapaksa created an environment where criminals are cheered round the clock and the anti- criminals are worried that they are not getting the minimum justice.
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That is what we must all react against.
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Mlechcha media promoters and Rajapaksa supporters sit together. They are like those who sit around a carcass and cannot pull off the piece of meat.
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The entire social structure must be turned upside down and a radical change in people’s thinking must be brought about. How do we achieve this for so long?
Dear Sensitive thought bearers over to you….. tomorrow will be too late if we would not act right…
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chiv / August 3, 2022
LM, “Who let the pigs out ” ????. Thanks to 26 million retards (including diaspora) for sponsoring Mara’s “wining and dinning”. They also sponsored Namal’s water skiing, Gotha’s visits to USA to see grand daughter, monthly world tours of Presidential Thatha and entourage, Basil’s business class ticket to no where, Namals wife’s business promotional trips, Yoshitha’s family vacation, Shiranthi’s daily makeup/ hairdo, Rajapaksas escapades during stressful time ——-.
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chiv / August 3, 2022
” Long live the King “.
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leelagemalli / August 3, 2022
Chiv,
It’s in their blood. Most journalists weren’t interested in a middle-aged animal wasting a lot of money on travel.
It is the hotel’s most expensive suite and is only rented out to the world’s wealthiest clients, hotel officials told us.
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This is the reason why I don’t just attack politicians. Our nation is full of back-lickers rather than true truth-seekers. And most of them are vagrants. They will sell or hire their mothers to earn their money. This is how Buddhagama has trained them. I was born in a Buddhist family, but today I am ashamed to identify myself as a Sinhala Buddhist. I respect only the true Buddhist way of life based on meditation.
Fortunately I have good collages in Italy in that region. They are truly good souls.
This dog (Mahinda) was disguised and thumped his chest loudly on the stage of “First Motherland”. Do you remember the people who gathered at Araliyagaha Mandir on May 9 for the “Second Motherland” and “Third Motherland”? If people were civilized, they would have punished him that day….
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Ajith / July 31, 2022
Mahinda Rajapaksa was the King of Sri Lanka and he was given all the powers to spend all the money belong to this island and the people also promised him to serve him and his family’s slaves forever. When even hundreds of professors like GL Peries are serving him as servants, how can ordinary people who even don’t have a penny to buy a piece of bread ask questions about his spending?
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leelagemalli / July 31, 2022
Dear Ajith,
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You only say that he was made king. For me these are not jokes, this Mara should be publicly executed to end the suffering of people today.
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Who made him king?
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All the so-called Sri Lankan artists including Sepal, Suda Thilakasiri who worked with Mahinda were together. Today, those SEPALs and SUDAs beat the Rajapaksas and get a monthly salary of 1500-2000 dollars as influential YOUTUBERs. Can you imagine what these artists look like?
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What are the qualifications for Malani Fonseka to come to Parliament? Geetha Kumarasinghe is rumored to be a former brothel owner in Zurich or Switzerland. What qualifications should she have to become a politician?
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Malani Fosenka, Ravindra Randeniya and all the actors and actresses are famous in the Sri Lankan society but are struggling without pensions. All of them were unanimously funded by the Rajapaksa regime as their afterthought was to capture the fans around them and convert them into their voters.
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Sinhala_Man / August 3, 2022
Thanks, leelagemalli,
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It’s great to know that you’ve actually spoken to the management of the hotel in Italy. How you managed that is amazing, but I believe you because you are a very truthful man.
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However, what you say would carry more weight if you avoided the use of unnecessary insults. Must you use so much animal imagery? Must you really call Shiranthi a “bitch” here, and in the next comment (response to Ajith), you ask the meaningless question as to what “qualification” some MPs have to be in Parliament. They were elected by the people. However, Geetha Kumarasinghe was thrown out by the Supreme Court because of a DISqualification; she was found to have Swiss citizenship; however that was during the tenure of the Yahapalana government when she was an opposition MP. This is the problem. Even our judiciary has courage to act only against people in the opposition.
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It is interesting, what you say about the monthly salaries of YouTubers being 1500-2000 dollars. I’ve been talking about the immense damage that they do for a long time. Could you please investigate that seriously and give us the results?
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leelagemalli / August 4, 2022
Thanks for revealing about Sepal.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bEePKDqoDco
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All these men are fishers on muddy waters.
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leelagemalli / August 4, 2022
Dear all who are interested in YT channels and how they earn their dollars.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NU0hOlUD2v0
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Many spiteful people in Sri Lanka may not want to allow others to earn their living, but this young woman, a product of humble parents in Gampaha, has taken this video for the people.
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Just imagine,, assuming, I have no doubt that UVA can reduce the poverty of people if SM owns a channel. It would be more positive than trying to teach people about the franchise. First things first, then how they should vote properly or both should be taught to them simultanously.. I think we should feed the people first and talk about politics.
Not vice versa.
Ethiopians today are doing it well. Don’t you know that the Ethiopian economy is among the most powerful countries in that part of the world today?
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Black Lankan / July 31, 2022
What is the harm. He is the father of the Sinhala nation. He invented Sinhala buddhsim. He won the war single handedly against the tamil terrorists who wanted to take over entire Lanka. He is the one who created this great corrupt, bankrupt Sinhala buddhist nation. He is the one who made the greatest loser in the wolrd to become a president. So let his enjoy life. Long live the KING.
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Ashan / July 31, 2022
This was a family of parasites, who sucked the blood off this country, at the expense of the people.
They were amassing wealth while giving us unusable ports and airports, and living the good life.
It would have been tolerable had they made sure they ruled with fairness and some intelligence, but they implemented racist and unworkable policies, that anyone with half a brain could have predicted would fail, and make things worse, and it has. NO country, or international agency, wants to bail us out, even if we beg and plead for help, because those policies have only made them mistrust our leadership, and their calls for cooperating with human rights investigations were met with arrogance and “big talk”. ALL that has now backfired on this country.
For those who voted or supported this corrupt family, and believed their lies, and blame on Western nations to justify their crimes, where are those western nations now? If they wanted to take over this country, use our ports, and control this tiny island, they don’t seem to be interested, or willing to “help” to step in here. Our ports are not as valuable as we thought. Remember this – IT WAS THE RAJAPAKSA’S WHO ARE TO BE BLAMED FOR THIS MESS WE ARE IN. NO western nation told them to be incompetent, make stupid decisions about organic farming, or made them give those damn tax cuts, among other meaningless decisions. The Rajapaksa’s AND the previous leadership were the contributing factors to the crisis we are in, NO one else.
THEY gave the protesters the reasons to protest.
Next time a Rajapaksa runs for office, DO NOT FORGET THE SITUATION THEY PUT US IN..
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Plato / August 2, 2022
The Champaign tastes of Rajapaksas belie their original Toddy tastes…………..
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shankar / August 4, 2022
can’t we get this money back aragalaya?Courts are of no use as history shows.only hope aragalaya.
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