In its first challenge under the RTI Act No 12 of 2016, the Colombo Telegraph (CT) filed a Right to Information (RTI) request to the Colombo based Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) asking for the full report of a 2014 inquiry held into alleged corrupt practices by CPA.
Dr. Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu
This was a report commissioned after repeated exposures made by CT in regard to alleged fraudulent practices of CPA but the full report dated December 1st 2014 was not released. Only a short executive summary was made public.
CT editor filed the request late last month stating that the CPA is a non-governmental organisation which is substantially funded by an international organisation or a foreign Government. Section 43(i) of RTI Act covers an NGO funded in that way and rendering a service to the public, to the extent of that public service.
The request was filed in the background of many Colombo based non-governmental organizations who advocate on RTI, including the CPA and Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) not appointing information officers in their organizations as required under the RTI Act. This is despite loudly criticizing failures of the government authorities. Even though TISL filed RTI requests on the very first day that the RTI Act was operationalised, claiming publicity by filing requests for assets declarations of the Prime Minister and the President, TISL has not itself conformed to the provisions of the RTI Act!
Where this information request was concerned and as no information officer had been appointed by CPA, CT filed the information request to the head of the CPA as permitted by Section 23 (b) of the Act. In response, the head of CPA Dr Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu has written on March 2nd 2017 (Thursday) acknowledging the request under Section 24 (3) of the RTI Act, No 12 of 2016 and stating that ‘we will inform you of our decision on your request within 14 days (of 27 February 2017).
The RTI request was to provide CT with the full report of the special investigation assignment on identifying whether there had been any non compliances by the CPA with standard procedures, fraudulent transactions or any unethical practices committed causing a loss and damage to the organization or to its shareholders, in the process of carrying out specific identified projects during the period 1st April 2005 to 31st March 2007.
The title of the report requested for was the CENTRE FOR POLICY ALTERNATIVES (CPA) (GUARANTEE) LTD, REPORT ON SPECIAL INVESTIGATION ASSIGNMENT by Corporate Doctors (Private) Limited Corporate Consultants, dated December 1st 2014. Only a so-called executive summary was published despite repeated demands by CT.
However the question is whether the CPA can respond in this manner by saying that it will decide within 14 days when this is a report that is immediately available to the CPA itself. The RTI Act says that the decision to provide the information must be given ‘expeditiously’ or without undue delay under Section 25(1) of the RTI Act. This implies that if information is clearly and immediately available, it must be given. It is only if that is not the case that a maximum time of 14 days can be taken to give a decision. Otherwise the public authority is in violation of the RTI Act.
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Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu & CPA Slip White-Collar Crime Under ‘Executive-Summary’ Carpet
John / March 3, 2017
Mr. Sarawanamuttu is [Edited out]
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Sunil / March 3, 2017
Good work Colombotelegraph! Keep up the good work.
More people have to test this RTI Act to see if it works and if they are really willing to give the information!?
It seems even the Registrar of Companies conveniently give you the wrong information instead of what you ask for!!
Looks like someone in the Registrar of Companies might be protecting the details of all the Rajapaksas family black money projects!?
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Amarasiri / March 3, 2017
Dear Colombo Telegraph,
“In its first challenge under the RTI Act No 12 of 2016, the Colombo Telegraph (CT) filed a Right to Information (RTI) request to the Colombo based Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) asking for the full report of a 2014 inquiry held into alleged corrupt practices by CPA.”
Congratulations. Excellent. Good Start Good work. Let’s try to reform the Land of Native Veddah Aethho from the VERY BAD Habits of the Paras.
Now it is becoming easier to stay under 300 words!
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John / March 4, 2017
Hah..huh, haa….. Amarasiri you joker,
As long as you don’t keep repeating your usual comments; Habaraduwa Muslim imams, Muslim IQ, para Muslim DNA , you can stay under 300 words.
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Native Vedda / March 4, 2017
Johnny Boy
“Mr. Sarawanamuttu is [Edited out]”
Brilliant.
Can you keep it brief.
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Good Sense / March 3, 2017
This is clearly a case where “some are more equal than others”. Any questioning of the moghul’s affairs would be shouted upon as “an intolerable intrusion of the privacy”. I am quite sure that in due course, it is these NGOO would successfully get the law changed to exclude themsleves being answerable to the public.
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chinchin / March 4, 2017
that is true. especially now that this paki-soti-living on dollars-thrown-at-him-nonTamil-speaking-saravanamutu is close friends with ranil lokka, satellite and the like – only wiping the white man’s arse. talking about human rights and this and that, but pakisoti ought to learn to read and write Tamil first before talking human rights and reconciliation. all spies for western governments – cpa should be made a govt agency and the whole lot in it should be fired – and preferably encouraged to settle down in a white man’s country so that they can do their arse wiping better.
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iSprite / March 3, 2017
Corporate Doctors (Pvt) Ltd. must have doctored the documents!
After all, their website says:
“We are not typical accountants or double entry detectives; we put our selves in your shoe and think connectedly.”
He He. The next time you want your audit doctored, call these doctors.
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K A Sumanasekera / March 3, 2017
CT got to go a bit easy on Dr Sothy..
The face says it all isn’t it?..
” Where can I find time to give attention to these ttrivial issues, I know a few dudes indulged in a few luxuries with few beers in between,,Considering the work I have done for Yahapalana Government , formulating alternative Policies for Dr Ranil to include in his Batalnda Constitution, these so called Social media dudes shouls write good things babout CPA”.
I sort of tend to go along with it after reading the Batalanda Constitutional Draft which Dr Ranil read at Kettaramaya.
No way Dr Ranil would have come with that brilliant idea .
That is to herd all the Sinhala Buddhists and Sinhal Catholics in to Seven Provinces and allowt then to sharet with the Vellalas and the Wahabis. who are already there.
While the last two have their own with special powers to control the Land Bank and appont their own Police. to gurad them.
And there is no need to ask the great majority either.
All Dr Ranil has to do is twwek the 13 and make it 13A plus..
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Silva / March 4, 2017
K A Sumanasekera,[Edited out]
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Annesley Dias / March 3, 2017
AKA K A SUMANE, SOFTY, DJ , C RASA MEDIA COOLIES AND AG WIJE ARE HELL BENT IN DESTROYING THE UNP.
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max / March 3, 2017
CT challenges Paki Saravana = “horage amma gen pena aseema!”
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Nalin / March 7, 2017
” “horage amma gen pena aseema!” “
The same as radio active `sardines by CWE` during socialist period.
All men lie and the world is a stage.
God forgives I don’t.
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Raghavan Ram / March 3, 2017
The man who has many uses for his tongue, Pakiasothy Saravanamuthu, is
only a worn out political horse. His NGO is his licence to practice his polkattu
American accent and pocket dollars from governments.What a facade he
puts on!!
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justice / March 3, 2017
If CPA is “clean”, why the delay in response to this request for a ‘full report’ ?
The response to request by TISL to reveal assets of the President and Prime Minister too, is awaited by all who believe in the Rule of LAW.
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DravidaNation / March 3, 2017
You can find him in Colombo’s elite hotels or clubs with his fake accent and guzzling expensive Scotch and smoking and also always looking macho with the top button of his shirt always unbuttoned. This is not mentioning anyone by name so CT you cannot censor this. BRAVO CT. You can find him easily in the US Embassy parties and with Indian American naturalized Citizen Ambassador “busybody now acting like Viceroy Dixit and Paul Bremer” Keshapji plotting Eelam and regime change.
The man may be with a high pedigree PhD(and dating highest pedigree in Ceylon) but has ZERO peer reviewed journal articles in peer reviewed A or B journals from Britain or any recognized national journal. One cannot be in academia and milk the PhD if one has no publications in peer reviewed quality journals. He is anti sinhala because he is from the English speaking Flower Road elite unable and unwilling to even sit with a sinhala or tamil farmer and eat with his fingers or have some Arraku and Toddy. He is just a pretentious windbag US funded man who has a massive expense account and no accountability. BRAVO CT
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chinchin / March 4, 2017
fully agree.
and also subject matter is an arrogant [Edited out], looks down upon Lankan people who may not have his fake accent & phd.
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jimsofty / March 4, 2017
Jehan Perera, Pakiasothy Saravanamuttu, some women with PhD and more NGOs holding doctorates are all results failed post colonial education. These people went yo UK and completed crappy PhD programs.
Now, only thing they can do is screw up the to which they born.
So, sympathasize with him.
I think some Dalit Tamils, in here, are going behind CPA boss, because he is a high caste tobacco farmer.
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K A Sumanasekera / March 4, 2017
What a bunch of advisers, Dr Baalanda Ranil has hired?..
Dr Mahendran went to the Tender Board Room and told the Boss Lady in charge to extend the bids closing time.
After 5 or 1o minutes, came the Son in Law ‘s 13.5 Billion winning bid with the cash from the BOC …
Dr Batalanda Ranil’s Finance Minister from Bloemendhal forged the ex Prez’s autograph to make Mahendran’s Bond Robbery looks Legit.
Now CT is demanding this dude, who is advising Dr Ranil , how to do Alternative Policy in Batalanda Constitution to come clean,
Wonder how much Dr Ranil pays for his Advice to give the suckers Yahapalnaya?..
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janaka / March 4, 2017
Did anyone really expect the right to information to actually work like in civilized countries?
We have too much sh#t under our carpets.
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Silva / March 4, 2017
At last! The dead, deaf and dumb CT has done something of importance.
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KatulEshap / March 4, 2017
I am superior. I speak good English. I got my PhD at LSE. I eat with fork and spoon. I have fancy clothes. I dine at clubs and I hang out with the cream of Sri Lanka’s elite and I get invited to wine and dine with European White Ambassadors and with Americans. Who are you CT? How dare you hoi polloi lower classes dare my ethics. Do you think it is easy being an intellectual like me? You are all inferior Sinhalese who want to attack me. I dare you show me you can write and speak English as well as I can with my phuff phuff accent.
I am the elite. You Sinhala inferior rapist Army will soon be tried for war crimes. We told you LTTE cannot be defeated and you dared to prove me wrong.
Does it sound like a page from a so-and-sos diary?
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Native Vedda / March 4, 2017
KatulEshap
” Do you think it is easy being an intellectual like me? “
Are you wise?
“Does it sound like a page from a so-and-sos diary?”
You sound like maalumiris.
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Nalin / March 7, 2017
Historian with a date base search engine.
when we do the dance the whole world dance.
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Silva / March 4, 2017
KatulEshap,
Haaaaaah hah hah haaaaaaaaaa!
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