Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella sought to boost his Government’s media credentials in Parliament yesterday, claiming that there had been no attacks or abductions of media personnel since 2010 and revealing that the regime had awarded duty free vehicles and laptops to hundreds of media personnel in the country.
Minister Rambukwella said 91 journalists had been provided duty free vehicles while 496 journalists had received laptops from the Government.
He added that 30 Parliament reporters would also be entitled to receive the benefits.
Several state media and independent journalists received laptops from President Mahinda Rajapaksa about one year ago at a special ceremony. The Government has also offered loans of Rs. 1.2 million interest free to scribes completing 25 years in the field.
Related posts;
Interest Free Loan Scandal: BBC’s £41,000 Annual Salary Employee Was Favored By Sri Lankan Govt
Expose: BBC Sinhala Head ‘Knowingly Mislead’ The Public
BBC Editor Uses BBC Resources To Cover Up Personal Misconduct
No More Dr. Vickramabahu’s Columns
Left-Right Collusion: Socialist Bahu Called Capitalist Ranil And Urged Not To Expose BBC Misconduct
BBC Pussyfooting On “Takes” From SL Govt’
Spring Koha / December 12, 2013
This is what we call a FREE press!
/
Stewart Sloan / December 13, 2013
Actually, it is not a ‘free press’ but a ‘purchased press’
/
Dinuk / December 13, 2013
The Sri Lanka media are the pits! Ceylon Today is advertizing MacDonalds food when Sri Lanka is facing an epidemic of non-communicable diseases like Diabetes and Stroke due to consumption of oily and sugar filled products from fast food chains. Obesity is also increasing..and this sort of advertizing targeting children should be stopped by the Health Ministry
Nowhere in the world do you have such massively stupid and irresponsible advertising campaigns to MARKET FAST FOOD that is injurious to a population’s health in the long run. Imagine the New York TImes or the Straits Times or the British Guardian advertizing Mac Donalds on the front page. The traditional Sri Lankan breakfast is far more healthy than Mac Donalds
/
kapu / December 12, 2013
This is the other ‘ Haddock ‘ who like the pimp who recently lost his DG post and his ministry. Can i ask this c..ks….r , if this is not an open bribe and corruption at its highest forum ? Who f……g money is this… and finally, what have you given their wives and mothers to keep them happy too.
i hope the triple gem and the 33000 odd deities vent their anger on your kind .
yakko, thopi buth deh kanne ?
/
Palmsquirrell / December 12, 2013
Laptops probably have backdoors installed courtesy of Rajapaksa regime. –Cars probably have tracking devices installed.– A lot of these journalists maybee pro government hacks.– What Sri Lankan daily is genuinely critical of the Rajapakas and highlights the abuses by the State.
/
Samuel / December 12, 2013
This man’s mouth is like a bed pan – I meant that kehelmal.. what comes out of seems to have nothing important…. this is the media minister.. that boasts to have a greater responsibility on him…
/
kapu / December 12, 2013
samuel… the bedpan is from an ancient kandyan clan… can be made use for heavy work, any which way one wants!
/
Attorney Sri Ranatunga / December 12, 2013
Come on Keheliya, are you on sleep walk still? Don’t damagw the reputation of our King Mahinga. He has protected media and jounalists out of his pocket. Do nod expose belowed Hahinda the greatwst Hora.
/
crazyoldmansl / December 12, 2013
Quite cheap no these writing fellows?
/
Taraki / December 12, 2013
So he is admitting to bribery and corruption!
/
WINSTON DEVALLIERE / December 13, 2013
TARAKI, YOU’RE MISSING THE POINT. WHAT THIS DUMBKOFF IS SAYING IS THAT THERE IS NOW NO NEED TO BUMP OFF JOURNOS BECAUSE ALL HAVE BEEN BOUGHT UP.AND ALL IT TOOK WAS A LAPTOP AND A CAR LOAN. POINT : HE IS IN EFFECT ADMITTING THAT THE GOVERNMENT DID KIDNAP AND KILL JOURNOS AND THAT LAPTOPS AND LOANS DID THE TRICK.
/
kaputa / December 25, 2013
How true!
/
Davidson Panabokke / December 12, 2013
What a pity Keheliya doesn’t think that this is daylight bribery to keep quiet on govt thuggery.
Our future generations keep learning the wrong things from the parliament. This govt should go NOW.
/
The Professional / December 13, 2013
Dear Mr. DP,
What about the integrity of the journos who accepted the “bribe”, which is now in the Hansard? Will those guys realize it now and do their job differently?
/
Park / December 13, 2013
Is this Keli Keheliya still living in Australia and talking about Australia? How can he say that there has been no attacks since 2010, what about media personnel who were attacked during public protests by the army soldiers in civilian clothing? What about the repeated attacks on Uthayan News Paper?
/
The Professional / December 13, 2013
Nobody in the parliament had asked how these journos pump petrol? very soon they will ask for a petrol allowance if the government wants them to cover development programmes. If not reporting will be for consideration of ..?
/
Sowden Edward Asange / December 13, 2013
If u cant beat them, join the.In this case… BUY them by hook or by crook… how can journo’s have ethics when they have already been bought by the MASTER and are slaves to him…all they can do now is, to suck at the bones thrown at em… by the MAHA RAJA
/
Raj / December 13, 2013
The Govt. has allowed a privileged few to ‘print money’ in the form of issuing tax concessionary permits to import vehicles which could be legally sold in the open market. I wonder if it makes sense if the Govt. lowered the import duty on vehicles to an affordable level for the benefit of a larger population, irrespective of their vocation, thereby, making it a fairer system and collecting the revenue from a larger volume instead of squeezing the poor sods (if any) who have to pay the full prohibitive duty for a new or used car? This permit system is tempting even honest people into corruption.
/
Jandasa Waduge / December 15, 2013
Duty Free Car Permits are bribes. Everybody knows that those who receive the duty free import permits sell the permits to highest bidder. CT can do an enormous service by revealing the names of those so called journalists who have received these permits.
/
Roshan / December 15, 2013
Duty free from his father’s money???? bloody MF using our tax money to give benefits to he wants, bloody joker… All those 225 including his royal Highness and his clowns should know that they buy their underwear from our money…bloody beggars…
/
Toss Upali / December 18, 2013
The “Bribe” to talk good about bad government? hah as usual..
/