By Colombo Telegraph –
Talking exclusively to Colombo Telegraph Opposition and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said that he is writing to Lord Christopher Patten, Chairman of the BBC Trust regarding the misconduct of its journalists.
Ranil Wickremesinghe
Two of its journalists, BBC World Service producer Chandana Keerthi Bandara and the Colombo Reporter Elmo Fernando, applied Rs. 1,200,000/-each by way of interest free loans from the state banks to purchase cars or vans, where the interest will be paid by the Treasury using tax payer money. This is part of a Government scheme but the move has been criticised by media rights organisations and the opposition as an attempt to purchase loyalty.
“The BBC must investigate its journalists for this and it is clearly a violation of its principles, I ‘m writing this to Lord Christopher Patten and also table the letter in Parliament,” the leader of the opposition said.
The Opposition and UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday that some media personnel who had received laptops and obtained vehicle loans, had defamed him in their publications the very next day.
“Last Sunday BBC Sinhala Service Colombo Reporter filed a distorted report on the Opposition Leader’s press conference and attacked him” a senior opposition legislator told Colombo Telegraph, asking for anonymity because he didn’t want to be targeted by the ‘laptop andinterest free loan’ media. The BBC didn’t report what the leader said in full and just criticised him for not answering BBC questions. The BBC even failed to report what the questions were.
Listen to BBC Sinhala reporting on Ranil Wickremesinghe here at minutes 7.37 – 11.20.
Addressing new IT recruits at Sirikotha, Wickremesinghe said that the gifting of laptops andinterest free loan to journalists and cartoonists, which coincided with the budget was no mere coincidence. It had been calculated to prevent the media from highlighting the burdens placed by the budget on the poor suffering masses.
Related posts;
White Hall / November 23, 2012
Lord Patten please protect the BBC integrity!!
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peter casie chetty / November 28, 2014
Hey hey!
You still live in coucou land! Don’t you read the newspapers? Don’t you watch the BBC news at all. You are still in the land of the slaves and the slave market. The BBC is involved in the most despicable rackets and you talk about their intergrity. People like you should hide in some cave and never come out.
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Javi. / November 28, 2014
BTW in the west we consider everything as right at first sight and make the corrections as we go along- life is a learning process.
Therefore even today the largest innovations and inventions are from Britain.
Not guilty until proved.
BTW again Venezuela, Argentina have full barter agreements with China for Oil so there is no case of loss because of US. Similarily, Russia always refused to give China its full requirements of gas and wanted the higher price that we the EU was paying which China refused.However with ukrain issue Putin signed an agreement with China for a 30 year supply and barter agreement Gas line $400billion (lesser price than EU) and in return creation of workshops for necessary goods so they may be independant.
China wins in all these wars because they weigh and consider the financial implications unlike the Bears or Eagles so its known as the friendly dragon with a sting.
In another context is the CJ dept paying you to dig outdated articles because of your kochikade heritage??
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White Hall / November 23, 2012
OMG! Just listened to BBC Sinhala reporting on Mr Ranil’s press conference , disgusting Elomer. Its Shame on BBC. But he is just a correspondent but who authorized the his report? who was the in-charge that day? BBC must answer!
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Lakshan / November 23, 2012
BBC should not allow two corrupt bastard to undermine its integrity
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Kumar / November 23, 2012
This time RW is correct.Even WR Also correct certain extent.But he is responsible Selected this both of idiots to BBC Sinhala Service, using his discretion.Elmo appoint early 1900 after test (Bogus)and interview. After that he was appointed as a Sri Lanka correspondent of the same service.News paper advertisements published but same idiots/henchman always appoint as their staff members. As a results of this BBC Sinhala service limited to very few listeners.
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srilal / November 23, 2012
Mr RW you are very quick to counter attack on these two sycophants, excellent. But where is the same enthusiasm, staminar for all the other burning issues which are closer to general public?
i guess this time round you ought to get some helping hand from ruling junta to carpet the sirikotha road .
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Wuliangguobinjiu / November 23, 2012
Calm down folks it’s just another “Shock and Awe”.
The matter shall be looked into soon. Over and Out.
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BunkerRat / November 24, 2012
Biased Broadcasting Corporation is public enemy #1 of developing countries.
Agenda is to divide… divide… divide as much as possible and fish in troubled waters and weaken the communities to the max. A wolf in sheepskin. Watch out folks!
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sarath perera / November 24, 2012
[Edited out] first ranil should explain this 3 cub reporters from divaina app.to top posts gyruka perusingha as itn chairman and govt spoksmann sports reporter jatila wellaboda as lakbima editor and member of army promotion board. shan wijetunga as senior producer swaranawahini another vivaina cub reporter chatura vidyarathna as political commenter of rupawahini..
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peter casie chetty / November 28, 2014
Only Journalists will know what happens behind closed doors. [Edited out]
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Yakka / November 24, 2012
Ranil Wickramasinghe or the 98,000,000 rupee man , eats out of our money and does nothing NOTHING NOTHING? Why should any one have a good word for this shameless man?
The Jarapassas will give lap tops and ask the journalists to praise this buffoon. They are all on the same side. Where is he when all this CJ impeachment a are happening in this country. Is this man shameless or what. Why should we pay him for doing nothing .
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Cynthia / November 24, 2012
” Ranil Wickramasinghe or the 98,000,000 rupee man , eats out of our money and does nothing NOTHING NOTHING?”
Isn’t it obvious that he also supports the People’s Dynasty to enjoy all this? He is no leader and he is no opposition! When the day comes when
Sri Lanka is rid of this curse – the present regime, the people must
prevent Ranil from taking over. Dr. Shirani Bandaranayaka would be
a good leader for our country.
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Gayan / November 24, 2012
Yakka, lontha fucker,
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Yakka / November 25, 2012
This is the problem ,Ranil and his boys do not see or hear any thing that goes on around them. They just use filth.
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Gayan / November 28, 2012
Yakka, pimps like you used by Rajapakshas know nothing other than two orifices and clamp prostitution! What else can we expect you to write other than raw lies and political muck dribble!
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Safa / November 24, 2012
When the local media is sold to the Govt for Laptops and Duty Free Vehicles at least foreign media should not fall for the Rajapaksa Gundu and stay unbiased.
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peter casie chetty / November 28, 2014
It like Sir John Kotalawela said that “Arse kissers don’t change only the arses do”.
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Leon / November 24, 2012
Looks as if the BBC is loosing it credibility.Apart this item there are scandals which the BBC is trying to hush up. Mr Patten, clean up the BBC and bring it back to the days when it had credibility and integrity.
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Kalu / November 24, 2012
Since when did BBC had credibility??
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Gayan / November 24, 2012
BBC is finished. Don’t listen to it! Can you call them media? BBC is a laundry!
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S.H.Moulana / November 24, 2012
BBC has lost its credibility and loaded with scandal after scandal.
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barack / November 25, 2012
yes…….BBC was over……we have to select another option…..it may be have their own backbone to criticize as well as show their validity for the ctitizism from their practice……..bla bla bla
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Saman Wijesiri / November 25, 2012
If you call the BBC a laundry, what can you justifiably call the Lake House? Ah! the journalists are getting car loans at the expense of tax payers! Are you, yourself not getting a good salary and allowances and enjoying various perks at the expense of the tax payers, Honourable Ranil Wickremesinghe? Though you enjoy good pay and perks from tax payers’ money, you have miserably failed to do the job of the opposition leader that has been entrusted to you! You have only been a source of strength to this regime, a fact that government front-liners openly admit. If you are given a pay hike would you not accept it? Does the acceptance of a car loan or a laptop reduce a journalist to the status of a sycophant? I personally believe that journalists should not expect or receive favors from any quarter. But I believe a journalist can benefit from a privilege extended to all journalists in general and still remain impartial and independent.
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Sofia / November 25, 2012
Quoted from your comments:
“I personally believe that journalists should not expect or receive favors from any quarter”.
This is what every right thinking of the country would feel towards. That alone shows that – CURRENT PRESDIDENT OF SRILANKA – openly offers bribes to keep them silent. What an idiotic mentality he should have is made clearer by himself here.
And there are many others that state assistance- that are -to everyone´s eye indeed in need – seem to get nothing from this stupid man. I personally believe – computerisation of data of the people should be gone to everyone corner of the country. That can then save the nation from abuses and frauds easily. Today, if an annonymous caller threatens an innnocient man or woman becomes helpless – because the receiver is easily caught by caller´s about anything. This was lately shown by a radio sender much clearer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrPJz9QEqvQ
Now or later, we need to start computerization of data of each citizen. So a poor country such as ours will need enough computers to each village council level – President should better focus on that matter than just wasting and abusing people ´s funds in this way. If laptops are gifted to the journalists (as professionals that in general could afford themselves to buy their own laptop or vehicle, why not the other professionals are unqualified for that..?
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peter casie chetty / November 28, 2014
Again the kissers never change man. Just the arses. When the UNP is in power all their own fellators get in and when the SLFP was in power their own [Edited out] get in. Mangala filled Lake House with all his boys from Matara and made them permanent before. The lake House Group have no one to defend their claims that the are unbiased because they know they are. Only an idiot will step out and speak of the obvious. The BBC on the other hand is racists and for the three Sinhalese journalists have a hundred Tamils who prop up the LTTE. They claim to be unbiased but they have been shown to be pimps for pedophiles like Jimmy Saville. It is annoying to see people comment about the glory of the British press when we as journalists know they are crooked as cork screws as are the people in Parliament their poilce and even the judiciary. Channel 4 is the same. When will someone remind the UNP supporters and all who make these idiotic claims that the UNP sacrificed the lives of seven hundred Policemen to the LTTE?
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Native Vedda / November 28, 2014
peter casie chetty
“It is annoying to see people comment about the glory of the British press when we as journalists know they are crooked as cork screws as are the people in Parliament their poilce and even the judiciary.”
As a journalist you would have come in contact with another well known hack Wee Tamizh Senior Journalist D: Siva Sankaran Sarma Menon.
Where is he now?
Does he still work as Gota’s b**ls carrier?
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GTMVK - Navala / November 25, 2012
The BBC has been unfairly criticized by the Sinhala extremists for being anti Sri Lankan and pro Tamil. Moderates have defended it as a reliable source of news and impartial analysis. The applications of some BBC journalists for money from the Rajapaksa government compromises seriously the credibility of the BBC, and makes it impossible for those who trust the BBC to defend it. If the BBC is to maintain the credibility it so far enjoyed, it has only one choice, to demand the resignation of those who have lined up to receive the tainted Rajapaksa money.
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kalumbandara / November 25, 2012
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