12 December, 2024

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Canadian IDRC Grantee ICES In Sri Lanka Is Sued For Research Fraud

By Muttukrishna Sarvananthan

Dr. Muttukrishna Sarvananthan

This author had exposed research fraud allegedly committed by the International Centre for Ethnic Studies (ICES) on a research study jointly funded by the International Development Research Centre (IDRC, Canada), Department for International Development (DfID, UK), and the Hewlett Foundation (USA) in early 2016 in the Colombo Telegraph.     

The titles and the corresponding web links of these exposes as follows:

1. Mario Gomez, ICES, and IDRC commit Research Fraud in Sri Lanka – (Colombo Telegraph – January 17, 2016)

2. Canadian IDRC continues to fund corrupt ICES in Sri Lanka even after a damning Evaluation Report – (Colombo Telegraph – January 23, 2016)

3. Messiahs of Good Governance at the Helm of Incorrigible ICES in Sri Lanka – (Colombo Telegraph -January 28, 2016)

A number of landmark lawsuits filed by this author and the Point Pedro Institute of Development (PPID) against breach of contract as well as violation of the intellectual property rights by the ICES, Mario Gomez (Executive Director), and Daneshan Casie Chetty (Chairperson) are earnestly due for trial from the beginning of this year, 2019.

The case number bearing DSP 52/16 filed at the District Court of Colombo on May 05, 2016 against the ICES, Dr. Mario Gomez (Executive Director), and Mr. Daneshan Casie Chetty (Chairperson) for breach of contract is due for trial shortly. The objection/s raised by the Counsel for the defendants against the amended plaint submitted on behalf of the plaintiff was rejected by the Honourable Judge in mid-2018. Then the ICES had filed an appeal against this order of the District Court of Colombo at the Western Province High Court of Civil Appeal in September 2018 bearing the case number WP/HCCA/COL/102/2018/LA. The judgement on this appeal was to be delivered on January 22, 2019, but it has been postponed.

The case number bearing HC / Civil / 35 / 2017 (IP) filed at the Commercial High Court of Colombo in November 2017 against the ICES for violation of the intellectual property rights has reached the stage of trial on January 22, 2019 and the next dates of the trial are fixed for May 14 and 16, 2019.

The case number bearing HC / Civil / 13 / 2018 (IP) filed at the Commercial High Court of Colombo in early 2018 against Kethaki Kandanearachchi, Rapti Ratnayake, and the ICES for violation of the intellectual property rights is due for hearing on April 04, 2019.

The case number bearing HC / Civil / 14 / 2018 (IP) filed at the Commercial High Court of Colombo in early 2018 against Dr. Jeevasuthan Subramaniam of the University of Jaffna and the ICES for violation of the intellectual property rights is due for hearing on March 06,2019.

The case number bearing HC / Civil / 15 / 2018 (IP) filed at the Commercial High Court of Colombo in early 2018 against Dr. Iresha Lakshman of the University of Colombo and the ICES for violation of the intellectual property rights is due for hearing on April 04, 2019.

A lawsuit against Dr. Ramani Gunatilaka, Ranmini Vithanagama, and the ICES for violation of the intellectual property rights is due to be filed at the Commercial High Court of Colombo shortly.

As and when the judgements on these cases are delivered, Mario Gomez’s position at the ICES would become untenable. It is because of this inevitability that various delaying/stalling tactics are being employed by the defendants. In order to find out the precarious state of the defendants in these cases, this author publicly invites the staff and the members of the governing board of the ICES to personally attend the hearing/trial/judgement of the aforesaid case/s on the respective dates mentioned above. 

We also publicly invite the media to attend and cover these landmark lawsuits on the dates mentioned above. If you require further information please do not hesitate to contact the Point Pedro Institute of Development at ppid@pointpedro.org

The Point Pedro Institute of Development is resolutely determined to expose and make a mafia among the NGO community in Colombo, largely based in and around Kurunduwatta (Cinnamon Gardens), accountable to all their fraudulent operations through proactive lawsuits.

Latest comments

  • 1
    0

    “As and when the judgements on these cases are delivered, Mario Gomez’s position at the ICES would become untenable.”
    Has the writer information on what the judgments will be?
    *
    The matters referred to under seem to be under litigation.
    I do not see the need for this communication in the absence of further related issues.
    *
    Is the CT allowing itself to be used as an advertising billboard?

    • 1
      0

      SJ,

      I agree with you on this. CT shouldn’t allow itself to be used by one party to a court case use its space to present one-sided version of ‘facts’ when what is fact and what is fiction will have to be decided in the courts. If the court decision turns out to be flawed, then at that time parties can come here and give their versions. But not when it is sub judice.

  • 0
    0

    NGOs may use govts to favor them from th Court case. This kind of corruptions are world wide from them. If it is some hidden authority funded or by the church, definitely, there will be some other purpsoes. Waht kind of property rights they had stolen. Is it Industrial, or medical related Sri lanka is a hub for stealing many Patent related rights , and asset stripping. One chemistry related patent that Japan has Sri lanka has the only endemic tree. There are many such pharmaceutical patents that either India or Sri lanka has the specific plant. In Sri lanka, JAPAN is excellent at stealing. IF NGOs are stealing they mamy be looking for what ?. Why Tamils are specific ? IT looks they use Tamils agqainst Sinhala people and Sinhala against Tamils and muslim etc., then say Human rights.

    • 3
      0

      Dr. Sarvananthan is correct. The Cinnamon Gardens NGO mafia is owned and operated by external parties: US, Canada, India etc. and must be held accountable. NGO ‘Research’ on ethnic and religious identity is increasingly used by external parties. This is part of an old Colonial activity, to Divide, Distract and Rule, the people of Lanka, by weaponising ethic and religious differences again. Asia Foundation was originally set up to weaponize Buddhism against Communism in Southeast Asia.
      Lankans today are being distracted from the massive corruption and looting of the country by Bondscam Ranil, Mahinda and US citizen Gota Jarapassa and their handlers by Trumpland Bots with help from local foreign-funded ‘civil society’, and lots of Fake news, Fake Experts and questionable “research’ – in the Cold War against China in the Indian Ocean.
      Check out: https://newrepublic.com/article/147623/saffron-curtain-buddhism-weaponized-cold-war
      Forget about NGOs speaking truth to power! The Cinnamon Gardens NGO gravy train is a foreign funded Joke today!

    • 0
      0

      CT is doing a great service in allowing all parties to voice their views. ICES can also write to CT and ask for right of reply. I am sure ICES wants to remain silent since it did not come forward in the earlier instances when the matter was raised via CT.

  • 1
    0

    My guess is these NGOs are govt supported. It may either Canadian or USA or both. probably the spy agencies know everything but not the politicians. They make third world countries corrupt on purpose because they want to exploit. I think they may use the govt or their under the tqable conncctions to win the case in favour of them or to become your effoprt futile. It is like the Maithipala sirisena lost the constitutional case for Parliament dissolving. My strong guess is the Judge is a blind woman holding the sword and you will argue in that way. SJ already has decided in the favour of his Master. I think Australia and NEw Zealand too are active but for business deals. They give a good game to Sri lanka.

    • 0
      0

      JD
      May I know what I seem to have decided and who is imagined as my master.

  • 0
    0

    This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2

  • 1
    0

    Intellectual property and the rights of their owners are relatively new areas for litigation in Sri Lanka. It would be interesting to see the outcomes of any judgments delivered in these cases. Mario Gomez and others before him have also been accused of fraud and malpractice in previous decades. Several of them moved overseas to avoid legal complications resulting in fraud where grant monies were misappropriated. It is also well-known that senior academics in Sri Lankan universities use research developed by their juniors and receive the credits for them in most unethical ways. It is great that PPID is pursuing these matters persistently.

    • 0
      0

      LP
      When students carry out research under supervision, the supervisor has a fair claim on the outcome. That is accepted practice in all Universities.
      *
      If the work is published without the name of the student as co-author it is theft.
      If anything published contains only a small part of the work by a student, it is an offence not to acknowledge the source.
      These are matters the the affected party should take up with the Faculty or the University and even draw the attention of the UGC.
      *
      Much of what I have seen presented in research seminars carry the name of both supervisor and student.
      In funded research the student is named in the report to the authority concerned.
      I cannot claim much knowledge of about what happens in journals.
      A large number of single-author research papers by any in a short period can raise reasonable doubt.
      I doubt if abuse is widespread, but action is needed if there is even one instance. That requires initiative by the victim.

    • 2
      0

      LP,

      I have seen that Sarvananthan sometimes throws false accusations at people. So we should wait until the courts decide the cases before forming any conclusions.

  • 0
    2

    One often hears about fraudulent research results like the ‘cold fusion’, DNA modification and the like. Suppression of results by industry giants, like the effect of tobacco, glyphosate. The ongoing suppression of the evil of alcohol, sugar etc. Of course the climate change.
    .
    We, layLankans, were under the impression that fraud in research funding is rare. In SL anything is possible.
    The allegations made by Dr Muttukrishna Sarvananthan needs to be cleared up. Politicians have used the language/religion-divide (referred to as ethnic conflict here) to enhance their wealth. One hopes that ‘academics’ are not into this.
    .
    One wonders what Dr Muthukrishna Sarvananthan has in mind regarding ICES. If financial, it is a police matter. Can one sue?
    .
    What the hell is ICES after?
    To establish that there is a conflict? Seventy years late.
    Or find a solution? My my foot!

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