Former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is alleged to have gifted exclusive hampers to a large number of leading judges in the country during the Sinhala & Tamil New Year season and the Christmas season while holding office as the head of state.
Rajapaksa and his CJ Mohan Pieris
According to highly placed FCID sources, a total of 74 judges were gifted with these excusive hampers, which were personally delivered to them by the driver of Gamini Senarath, who was the Chief of Staff at the Presidential Secretariat during Rajapaksa’s term.
According to the FCID, this mode of gifts came to light during an investigation launched in to the bank account of Senarath where it showed that a large sum of money amounting to millions was withdrawn at once.
During the investigation by the FCID, Senarath’s driver had also disclosed that on the orders of his boss, he had delivered these hampers every year to these 74 judges.
During Rajapaksa’s term in office, the independence of the country’s judiciary was questioned many a times.
Vaachalaya / October 7, 2016
While money can drive corrupt judges to make deplorable decisions, Our Justice system is highly corrupted and we have a Deal Dasa as the head of the Justice Ministry.
Its high time to Invite foreign Judges to checkmate our highly corrupted Judicial system.
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Babansincho Jayathilaka / October 7, 2016
Not just one party to be blamed – givers are the there and takers are also there.
Why on the earth THOSE judges lost their healthy conscience at the time they were offered them ?
IN GERMANY; I REALLY DONT THINK YOU CAN BRIBE A JUDGE THIS WAY; SINCE THEY THE EDUCATED ONES TO BECOME JUDGE RESPECT THE BASICS OF THE PROFESSION:
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Serasinghe / October 7, 2016
A person with such a low mentality and values dispatching hampers to Judges, is not only unsuitable to become Head of State or PM again but even to sit in the Parliament as an ordinary MP. Can we expect this to happen in a Democratic Country ?
Many people seems to have forgotten what MR offered to the husband of former Chief Justice Shirani Bandaranayake while she was holding the valued post! It was the Chairmanship of Government owned National Savings Bank and Mrs. Shirani Bandaranayake did not have the audacity to request her husband to turn down the offer due to obvious reasons. That was the behavior of the persons in the highest echelons of our judiciary during MR regime !
The Civic rights of Mrs. Sirimavo Bandaranaike was taken away for abuse of power, which was of a minion scale when compared to abuses of senior politicians of MR Government.Why is that the present Government feeling shy to act ? Is it because some of their key figures are already lined up by “Joint Opposition” to be hauled before FCID when/if they manage to form a Government at a future date ?
Serasinghe
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Nimal / October 7, 2016
These judges are a disgrace.
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Shrikharan / October 7, 2016
It clearly proves and justifies the victims of war crimes call to be heard by International judges. Sri Lankan judiciary is corrupt like any other Sri Lankan Service Department.
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Sena / October 7, 2016
Once, a US Agriculture Secretary was on a working visit to California vine country, a vine famer gifted a bottle of wine. People made big noice for his accepting it, for it’s ethical and he had to resign his post.
Oh God, here 75 judges accepting hampers for years, oh boy, oh boy.. bloody shame. All these people should be exposed, named and shamed otherwise no way to clean up and correct the system. This is the same all the other government institutions.
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ala / October 8, 2016
Our leaders say that are judicial system of corrupt-prone is only to protect their corrupt deeds. Bond scan, Gota’s Arms deals, MR and family deals goes on to say our judicial system is very corrupt. It is high time foreign judges rule our judiciary which is a disgrace.
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shankar / October 9, 2016
companies do give hampers to people who have helped them.this is given as a token of good will.now why did these judges get hampers.If all judges got hampers of the same value you can think it might be just goodwill but if only 74 have got then the question arises in what way have these judges helped rajapakshe and his cronies.They should be all thrown out lock stock and barrell and the whole judiciary cleaned up once and for all and fresh new judges appointed after a public committee consisting of non legal eminent people has screened them and approved their appointments.the stink that is coming out from these hamper stories is worse than at meetotamulla.
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