The Government has decided to immediately suspend the construction work of the Defence Headquarters in Akuregoda, after information came to light of a huge financial fraud running into billions of rupees.
Former secretary to the MOD – Gotabaya
Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne announced that all payments in relation to the construction work at the headquarters, has also been suspended with immediate effect, as the information provided to the Cabinet in relation to the construction of the Rs. 40 billion worth headquarters has been proved to be incorrect.
According to the finding of a special committee, appointed by the President, correct information had not been provided to the cabinet with regard to the consultancy firm selected for the project.
The committee recommended for the immediate suspension of the services and review the payments made to the firms, and to verify if all payments made for the construction of the headquarters were approved by the Cabinet.
According to Senaratne, Rs. 600 million has been paid in excess to the consultancy firm.
“It’s obvious that there has been a huge financial fraud in this project, and we will take steps to expose the culprits behind this and take legal action against them,” Senaratne vowed.
The project commenced during the tenure of former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
max / June 23, 2016
Yet another carrot to the fantasies of the lickers of decaying ‘yahapalayana’!
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Seelawathie Jayasinghe / June 23, 2016
Max you thought Yahapalanaya would have healed all the wounds. That alone was a greater mistake. In a nation MaxES and all the culprits are the majority, how could we ever reach the yahapalan principles shaping our lives. Ask yourself what you know about Yahapalanaya before going to attack our fantasies. So long idiots that support Rajaakshes further in the line, nothing will be easy to change in this country. I hate all the Maxes and idiots of the country. They only criticise.
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Sylvia Haik / June 23, 2016
Seelawathie Jayasinghe: “I hate all the Maxes and idiots of the country. They only criticise.” It could be because they are part of the fraud or benefitted from it.
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S.Modaya / June 23, 2016
Ranil-Sira new about the fraud at the so called defense HQ long ago but kept mum. Now that Gota is proposing to lead the SLFP they are exposing the corruption of the War Hero/ War Criminal and white van man Gota Jarapassa.
Sri Lanka masses are victims of their own leaders – the politician thieves, thugs and goon and morons they elect to the Diyawenna parliament of Corruption!
Long live Miracle of Modayas!
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Native Vedda / June 23, 2016
Sylvia Haik
“It could be because they are part of the fraud or benefitted from it.”
Max moron is striving to replace KASmaalam K A Sumanasekera as the official b***s carrier to MR.
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Samuel Jayaweera / June 24, 2016
NV- I believe MAX reigncarnation of that former ” leela”.
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Seelawathie Jayasinghe / June 24, 2016
Yes, Sylvia, they are bread and butter when it goes for benefited that is why MAX react so paintful. They cant bear it today. Glyphosat or any other weedicide will not succeed these men from getting removed.
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max / June 24, 2016
“Aseelawathie”, shall we replace the ‘podu janathava’ in SL with another ‘podu janathava’ from mars or some other planet? And inject them the same thoughts you and the likes of Sylvia Haik, Native Vedda etc., inculcate with?
Because, it seems your brand of ‘democracy’, ‘pluralism’ is such. Think like me or get lost! “Hitlarism” in a different way?
Thanks for proving again the fact that your an insult to the mankind!
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Seelawathie Jayasinghe / June 24, 2016
So long MAXes are the majority, things will stay stagaated, as thotalanga heaps of garbages last. New ideas based on YP can only work if the average of the nation are ready to face it. You the guys should be made accountable for all the misery the lanka face today and the near future. Together with media mafia men that continue working for Alibaba and 40 thieves rather than the gulliable poor who are the easy targets of political crocodiles like Rajaakshes.
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Samuel Jayaweera / June 24, 2016
Lanken Podujanathawa – is controlled by MEDIA working for Meeharaka Rajapakshe. This is a fact.
Lanken Journos negitiyawa to save the nation from Rajakashe mafia
As PM made it clear, they have opened doors but you journos are still nto ready. Journos are on the agendas of Basil…
Tell me that Gentelman Ranjan R REVEALED almost everything but what Journos did was… publshed ” PM stops Ranjan s acting”. ….. as if Ranjan mediation did not reveal anything…..
that is how they spread lies keeping the gullible masses further fools.
Media Mafia should be accountable for all the problems that the country faces today.
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Seelawathie Jayasinghe / June 24, 2016
I have no doubt you have undergonea surgery making you different. Else, all sane onew would see it other way around. Please eat grass further and let others work on YP by their own way. Dont be an another stone standing on the way. Good luck to you stupid MAX. The kind of stupidity in yours is rare, but unique to you.
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Native Vedda / June 24, 2016
max moron
“Thanks for proving again the fact that your an insult to the mankind!”
Hence it wasn’t an insult to you.
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Sinchuappu / June 23, 2016
Had Gota been that clever, he would not have worked like a IT help or pretrol shed help while spending his life in the states, until he was immmediately called by his brother to become secretary of defence. As Sarath Fonseka made it very clear, those days, this powerful man had whispered to SF that the life in the states were very hard – and living the life was a struggle. However, his profile says, him to have graduated from a local University makes me a doubt. Normally good educated lankens could catch better jobs than serviing for a petroshed or IT help man inth US.
Anyways, guys, that have been blind and deaf about the secrets of former Defence secretary – should know this man had not the least knoweldge about the a to z of updates of the lanken Army at the time his position was declared. But Rajaakshe MEDIA unit painted it – as giving him more credetials than he really owns. That way the story started by sowing lies.
Now you guys should realize these men born to those Medmaulan are born culprits to making own public that blind.
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Sylvia Haik / June 23, 2016
Gotabhaya promoted himself as an IT expert. The only expertise I see is his time spent operating cash register at the petrol shed where he worked and probably learnt how to fiddle the books to hide his thefts. He graduated from thieving pennies to thieving Rs.Billions from us.
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Native Vedda / June 23, 2016
Sylvia Haik
“He graduated from thieving pennies to thieving Rs.Billions from us.”
Good that you are focussing on his thievery while forgetting his past job as the national hangmen since the mid-1980s.
Which one was the gravest?
By the way according to my Elders he also worked as an office manager for an IT company.
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Seelawathie Jayasinghe / June 24, 2016
Just go back to the interview he gave then to BBC… there hhi hihi…hu hu… who is lasantha… who is lasantha…. did reveal tothe world the nature of GOTABAYA… there he dared to say that war won Army commader to be hung by them – as if Gotabaya is the commander of executions under Mahinda.
This particular man is made god to lanken folks through lanken media units even today work for Mahinda et al. For some reasons those media men dont allow others to do the job properly.. since they feel then they would have been destroyed by Gotabaya et al. They just become stand still when talking about the harm would hav ebeen made on them if they would go against Raja….
On his return from Japan – what we got to read in srilnaka – any single journalists brought informative article on what the bugger had been doing in that country… that was a controversal trip against the ruling government.. nor never the former leaders of any democractic countries would have done so, but provocative moron did it.
Can anybody please add me thoughts why we dont have any articles on that trip to be read in SRILANKA OR INTERNATAL PRESS ?
That answers the psychosis that lanken journalists face even today before Rajapakshe mafia.
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Lankan / June 23, 2016
Max,
There are some people who are not such fools, as to love the MR regime or the current ‘yahapalanaya’ regime. Wherever there is corruption, it needs to be investigated and punished, irrespective of whether it’s a ‘yahapalanya’ politician or an MR affiliated rogue that’s involved.
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max / June 24, 2016
Agree. Totally. Do you think, at least in a wild dream of you, the current govt is acting like what you have written above?
I will be first to applaud if the govt’s actions are in line with those principles.
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Sam Fernando / June 24, 2016
Why not ?
If you are not born yesterday, you too should pulse it.
Could anyone feel fine during the days of Maharaja ? He was ruling as if Mugabe does it. Even today his ghosts journos work for him not partially but blocking entire journey.
And tell me , how can they meet their priciples so long you the wild weeds are there ? You guys would not be eliminated even by round up. Your thoughts are so rooted as viruses spread over. Like a vegetation could full be destryoed by wild weeds, you guys together with Wimal Buruwanse, Gonthadipila etc stand on the way not forgetting MEDIA MAFIA that works for promotion of Meeharaka Et al rather than any good steps being taken by YP rulers. It is like a road filled with stones of varied weights blocking anyone s aims. Not only the stones on the roads, they are also stones that coudl fall on from the rocks.. all these are the obstacles of the day. Media men dont allow media freedom to be established. They make tabloids in favour of Rajaakshes rather than good steps taken by rulers.
Like the referendum on Brexit- there are two fractions inthe country that either block or support. These from portions on are neck and neck.
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Lankan / June 24, 2016
I’m disappointed with current government as well. All a bunch of unprincipled, inept individuals
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Samuel Jayaweera / June 23, 2016
Can anybody of you please spend for better Punnaku to Max and his et al.. to give a life to this nation – is the need of the hour.::: but it is not an easy task.
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max / June 24, 2016
Uncle Samuel, please do that. I will definitely keep your half without any harm!
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Burt / June 23, 2016
I don’t think this news surprises many. There was a general feeling that many palms were oiled if getting rid of the prime land prom the old military HQ and building this.
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Keerthi Vijebahu / June 27, 2016
We Lankans are very good at forgetting the point and trading insults at each other, this really sums up our progressive couture and values. This is why politicos provide us with daily distractions from the main point, indulge and be happy. (We haven’t done much since independent,except feeding fat politicos)
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Mudson Silva. / June 23, 2016
This was an unnecessary project started by the war monger Gota, he wanted this project to be in par with Washington pentagon. 40 Billion!!! ha ha and how much into Jarapaksas pocket. 4000 houses could have been built for poor families in rural areas. This yahapalanaya fellows will not take any action in bringing these culprits to Justice. We need foreign Judges to strengthen our justice system which is highly corrupted with Jarapaksa cronies, and henchmen.
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Bensen Berner / June 23, 2016
How many more frauds will surface and how many times have they to cut their throats? Prosecute them on the cases before you and take up the other cases with
them in jail.Bensen
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Patriot / June 23, 2016
Like Avent Guard this is the forerunner to negotiating the kick back from this company. Bodhi Sira in the meantime will forward the held funds to build Viggies Nandikadal shrine to appease the Diaspora sponsors.
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Native Vedda / June 24, 2016
Patriot Pathetic
“Bodhi Sira in the meantime will forward the held funds to build Viggies Nandikadal shrine to appease the Diaspora sponsors.”
Let the Tamils build this shrine or monument with their own funds at Nandikadal. All they may want is that all gun totting monkeys to be put back in their respective cages.
Now you can go back to carrying MR’s clanking b***s.
In fact any monies recovered from the clan should be spent on the needy than on national/regional monuments.
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shantha / June 23, 2016
How much more needs to be exposed before the helping hambantota filth are arrested?
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Upul / June 23, 2016
It looks as if this YP will never punish them. If they wants to, then, there is more than enough evidence for them to go ahead with that. The only thing is, the punishment is given to the people who pay the taxes. It’s very rare that you find a genuine politician anywhere in the world.
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Demian / June 23, 2016
Yet another scam that will end up like the others – nowhere!
These guys can’t put their moneys where their mouths are and we are being treated like a bunch of hopeless jokers.
Time to stop the bullshit and put the guilty away!
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renu / June 23, 2016
The former Defense Sec has no escape , He has to be taken in with this kind of fraud and ones he was involved in. It is obvious he is no saint
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justice / June 23, 2016
Rs 40 Billion are peanuts compared to the daily upkeep of the peacetime army.
Middle Level officers approve monthly food contracts in the many millions – and there are no audit reports on these.
So are the many hotels & other projects by the army – no auditing done.
Nobody dares to query.
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MONTE CRISTO / June 23, 2016
Spot on Demian…. we are only being bullshitted.
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thrishu / June 23, 2016
OK Bring in Mr GOAT to FCID for grilling, arrest, jail, bail or hospital, release, living happily ever after with the case repeatedly postponed until MS/RW’s would be defeat at the next election and the re-entry of the Ali Baba and 40-rogues, when Mr GOAT’s records would be wiped clean and he would join the rogues to eat their 3rd big morsel of public assets. It is all done by mirrors and confidence tricks, and the public falls for them.
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Native Vedda / June 24, 2016
thrishu
“OK Bring in Mr GOAT to FCID for grilling, arrest, jail, bail or hospital, release, living happily ever after with the case repeatedly postponed until MS/RW’s would be defeat at the next election and the re-entry of the Ali Baba and 40-rogues,”
Don’t under estimate MS/RW, both are not that stupid to arrest MR/GR the heroes of Mullivaaikkal, who taught the Demelas a lesson that they would never forget at least for the next 2500 years.
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Simon De Silva / June 24, 2016
Yes, NV, Thrisu adds his two cts worth not even considering so called war victory selfishly claimed by Rajanos… Rajano cemented the picture by their media men as no chemicals can remove it again in the heads of the grass eating folks. even painting it further.. that their magical powers eleminated Ltte terror. Those who know knowns it well it was not their magical powers but synergies converge to defeat them
MS/RW considering all these the way how the folks tick,moves forward whoever whatever being said and done – it will not be easy to punish them as some expect. This grass eaters will take another 2500 years to see it right, then we will all have become fossils for next generations.
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Sylvia Haik / June 23, 2016
This braggard Gotabhaya Rajapakse has the audacity to denigrate what the government is attempting at clearing up the mess he and his siblings left them with and claim that he would sort everything out if he was elected. God forbid.
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Mano / June 24, 2016
So this is yet another reason why he wants to run for President – he had the taste of power and the opportunities to put his filthy fingers into the nations treasures. He wants MORE.
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ramona therese fernando / June 24, 2016
Shucks…..just as Gota was going to replace Ranil!
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Rohan / June 24, 2016
Can someone give Mahinda Rajapakse a knife?
Oops, no use. This money was not in dollars!
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Dhana / June 24, 2016
THE REAL STOREY – DEFENSE HEADQUARTERS
Most of the articles that appear on Defense Headquarters project are unfortunately factually incorrect, politically biased and project a wrong picture. As an Architect who was involved with this project for a short period in the later stages please let me record some factual information.
I live overseas and worked on this project for a short period at the request of consulting Architects. One of the significant aspects of this project was the desire of Client Organization and Gotabaya Rajapaksa was to ENGAGE SRI LANKAN PROFESSIONALS IN THE DESIGN AND THE ARMED FORCES IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF THIS BUILDING.
There had been various proposals by Japanese and Chinese Contractors to construct this building and If GR WANTED TO MAKE MONEY THE EASIEST WOULD HAVE BEEN TO HAND THE PROJECT OVER TO A FOREIGN CONTRACTOR AND RECEIVE THE COMMISSION TO A NOMINATED OVERSEAS ACCOUNT.
The report of the Cabinet appointed committee (appeared on another web site) states that the Total Consultancy fees was 5.5%. Architects remuneration agreed was 1.5% of the cost. This was paid on actual man hours. The man hours were monitored independently by the armed forces. Balance 4.0% – almost 72% the Consultancy fees – were paid to State owned CECB who were the Engineering Consultants and Construction Managers.
IN OTHER WORDS ARCHITECTS PAYMENTS WERE MADE FOR ACTUAL SALARIES OF PERSONNEL WHO WORKED ON SITE AND THEIR WORKING HOURS WERE MONITERED INDEPENDENTLY BY THE ARMED FORCES
The building consisted of Three Million sq.ft (3,000,000) and one of the largest buildings constructed in Sri Lanka with high rise offices, auditoriums etc. Anybody conversant with Architectural services would appreciate that 1.5% of the cost as fees is NOMINAL when compared to fees charged for similar projects.
Further major portion of the project was constructed by the Armed Forces who did not have much experience in constructing mega projects of this nature and the Architects had to provide much more services and details compared to working with a conventional Builder.
One of the most significant benefits of this process was the large number of Armed Forces personnel who were idling after the war were able to significantly enhance their skills in Construction instead of idling inside their barracks. MOST ARMED FORCES PERSONNEL ALL OVER THE WORLD IDLING AFTER WARS END UP WITH POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER (PTSD). SRI LANKA HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED AS ONE OF THE FEW COUNTRIES WITHOUT THIS PROBLEM. Involvement of service personnel in such projects would have been a major factor in this statistic.
All tenders for specialist construction works were advertised in national papers and selections were handled by the Project Managers along with the Consultants.
There had been large amount of precedents in Sri Lanka for awarding projects to Architects without obtaining competitive bids primarily because the Client prefer to work with an Architect known to them especially considering the confidentiality of the project. The Architect selected had a well-established practice having handled large scale hotels and hospitals prior to this project. Blaming the Architect for Client not obtaining competitive bids and financial fraud is regretful and atrocious.
It is a shame that a project that had such good intentions has been used by politicians and interested parties as a political football.
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The Professional / June 25, 2016
Dear Mr. Dhana,
I overheard at the OPA a legal luminary, who likes to gather grapevine news in armchair comfort and tries to interpret news with legitimacy, telling his fellow tipplers that GR brought in a foreign consultant. Is it true? If it is true then what you say that GR always insisted that the project should be handled by Sri Lankan experts leads to more doubts regarding fees paid to consultants.
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Dhana / June 25, 2016
I was not paid as a foreign consultant and received a salary half what I received overseas. I came to work only because I wanted to get involved in this prestigious project and left before the Presidential election was called.
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Dhana / June 25, 2016
To the best of my knowledge there were no foreign (born) experts involved. I was invited by the Architect to the project who was a batch mate at Katubedda and the salary paid was within his fees.
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paul / June 25, 2016
Yahapalanaya was elected to clean up the mess supposedly left behind by the former regime. Looks like this caravans incompetence is beyond bounds. Stop this project .. postpone that project .. restart the other project … appoint that crook …promote the other crook… And the caravan moves on…
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