Former President and MP Mahinda Rajapaksa was questioned by the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) today.
Rajapaksa had been questioned over the money owed to state-owned ITN TV for televising ads promoting him at the 2015 Presidential Election campaign.
Instead of summoning Rajapaksa to appear before the commission at BMICH, where sittings are held, the commission members had visited Rajapaksa’s official residence in Colombo.
This according to a commission member had been done, fearing public protests.
An audit inquiry conducted by the ITN has revealed that from November 24, 2015 to January 05 2015, Rajapaksa had paid Rs.62 million to the state owned ITN for advertisements carried on his behalf at the concluded presidential polls.
However, according to the audit inquiry Rajapaksa still owes Rs.10.1 million for advertisements carried out during the period.
Meanwhile at the same period the ITN which agreed to air advertisements worth Rs.44 million of Rajapaksa’s rival candidate at the election Maiithripala Sirisena has only aired advertisement worth of Rs.2.6 million despite the agreement.
Earlier the commission questioned UPFA parliamentarian Dullas Alahapperuma, former secretary to Rajapaksa, Lalith Weeratunga, former ITN chairman Anura Siriwardena and former Secretary of the Ministry of Media under the UPFA led government Charitha Herath on the same matter.
Srinivasan / September 23, 2015
I could not read all the responses. That would take a long time. But one thing is clear. There is justice in the Tamils asking for international investigation. If the Commissioners tread ( walk very carefully lest you wake up a sleeping cat ! ) to HIS residence for LKR10million, how on earth are you going to question him for serious war crimes. The Commissioners may have to live at his residence during the course of the investigation.
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salam / September 24, 2015
asking by tamils is one thing.
hindian tweaking the commission is the real thing that is ongoing from the start to conflict.
getting justice is another thing based on passion but not logic- its the way of the world and is no secret from time.
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Dodo / September 24, 2015
Culture of impunity for corrupt politicians is GROWING AND EXPANDING – judging from the size of the Cabinet of corrupt morons, and the corrupt AG has now free even Sajin Vass Gunawardena so he can go around punching diplomats!
Ranil and Sirisena’s yahapalanaya is a joke and there must be a proper war crimes trial in the Hague.
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salam / September 24, 2015
Terrorism which they blame the Sinhalese and Muslims.
Emil Soundranayagam, Raj Rajaratnam blame the Tamil culture of secrecy for their downfall/exposure.
Once again the great neighbour India would squeeze their ba**s.
What the Scots don’t get won’t be given to a stupid tamil by the west.
Even Israel got their land by force.
Tamils are just fooling the world asking for country which even TN can’t have.
As long as Diego Garcia base is around neither the Indian or Chinese can take over but they will also squeeze lankan ba**s inclusive of stupid tamils
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cholan / September 25, 2015
and the same US will kill the Muslims at their will …even Allah can’t stop this …no worries US drones are waiting at Diego Garcia to blast the heads of stupid Muslims when they shout Jihad …it is a matter of time ..
No worries whether green or blue party rule the country …minister pots are guaranteed for thoppies and these stupid jokers will kiss their Sinhala masters balls without same..
Cheers
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sama / September 24, 2015
I think it is right to go to him and collect them rather than calling him to CID offices since there are still a significant masses inthe country that woudld be even ready to spice the rajapakshe extrements. It is a good decisions of the day – the rulers care these issues this way, not harming or creating new waves of violence across the nation. This country is filled at least with 50% of idiots that would harm any kind of good movement.
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Leelawathie / September 25, 2015
I think they the invetigation pannel could bring him some punnaku… to continue MR s stupidities. He has never loved the nation. It was collectivity that brought the stop to the war.
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Native Vedda / September 25, 2015
Leelawathie
” It was collectivity that brought the stop to the war. “
The glory of winning the war singularly goes to VP. Other countries also helped him to win the war for MR.
Heil VP, not MR.
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jay gunasekara / September 23, 2015
Where is law and order in SL ? There are two sets of laws and Iam not surprised the murderer, thief and Game thug seems to still rule the roost.What happened to the tons of rubber bullets and tear gas Gota ordered to repress the population? Unfortunately the peoples expectations are dashed when thugs seem to have the upper hand. I do not think SL will ever come out of its subservience even to former politicians.Shame on all the cowards of the commission and like a former Singhala king who sent his father a bra for being a coward these Unuchs should be sent bras.
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Shan / September 24, 2015
Why anybody wants to call MR a rogue? I understand why LTTE supporters call him a rogue but why others? No matter what he did or does in the future, he always will be remain as the leader who finished 30 year old bloody war. That makes him a hero to many.
Why there is need to investigate if someone is owned money. Send a notice and file a case in the court. Why presidential commission is wasting time on something like this.
When will this commission start to investigate CB bond scam? All these are political games.
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Lankan / September 24, 2015
Shan,
He is not a hero..he was the President under whom the war came to an end.
Just that. You are showing the typical Sri Lankan ultra nationalist’s mentality of servility and worship. Just open your eyes and don’t let them
take you for a ride
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salam / September 24, 2015
India is continuously kicking tamil butt and its very effective.
What are you doing about it now that you made your life even harder by voting my3.
Keep your stupid eyes closed because you always seal your coffin because of secrecy and anti social.(only my people and do your best to live in the ghettos of the west.)
The economy of India and China are more important to the west than a 100k -500 coloured refugees.
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cholan / September 25, 2015
and even in India there is a a opposition is growing against Thoppies ..Greater China is already smashing alpa moo akbar …Chinese at her will
Soon thoppies from East Sri Lanka will be floating like Roginya Muslims on the sea and even the guardian of Islam Saudi Arabia won’t even look at them …saudies know very well all Asians Muslims were converted Hindus
and in the west SL Muslims are living as refugees too ..and marry pork eating white women for residence permits ..no haram …
90% SL TAMILS INTHE WEST ARE TODAYS CITIZENS IN THEIR COUNTRIES BUT EVEN IF THIS STUPID MUSLIMS PRAY 12 TIMES A DAY Y AND LIVE IN MIDDLE SEAST FOR 50 YEARS THEY WILL NEVER GET CITIZENSHIP ..ARABS LOOK AT ASAIAN MUSLIMS AS SLAVES
Cheers
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cholan / September 25, 2015
ToDay millions of stupid muslims are begging at the boarders of infidels countries in the west to allow them inside …these muslims will not go to rich Arab countries where they will thrown out …
First they ask for refugee states..then place for worship …later sharia joke laws ..the separate cemetery …finally they will bomb the feeding hands
Western governments who are allowing these fanatic Muslims in the name of human rights will soon burn their fingers …
No idea how many SL Thoppies are among these Muslims ..
Cheers
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Shan / September 24, 2015
Typo: Owed not owned.
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Shan / September 24, 2015
@srinivasan How are you going to setup this so called hybrid court? Government will not agree to it (that would be the end to their political careers) and you cannot pass anything in UN Security Council with China and Russia in it. How?
It is highly unlikely that US and EU will punish their baby this early. India will not do anything. Best possible outcome is a domestic investigation with UNHRC technical support.
Plus you will have hard time proving MR committed war crimes. If that is the case, all the Commanders of Armed Forces, Gota, government ministers including President Sirisena will also be responsible for war crimes, not to mention other high ranking officers of armed forces and soldiers. Highly unlikely.
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Worry / September 24, 2015
Thank you guys for making your critical statements. It is actually cool in this very specific discussion. This is exactly I am questioning.. Do we have an unbiased court system, neutral judges, and law of the land that could take kind of person alike MR and discuss all wrong doing during his tenure as president and give the true judgment. Could we? Should we? Is anybody out there to apply some proper verdict? If this law of the land (you challenged the UN recently) says that nobody is above the law, then everyone that includes Mahinda Rajapakse. It is NOT complicated right? That is what MR and GR believed and placed the war wining champion SF inside the jail and said he has violated the law of the country. Really? If these fucking uncultured basters from Hambantota can do that, why the law of the land (Ranil thinks) can explore the right way to exploit the rule. Can Mithri or Ranil question MR? Can the CJ do this? Can the justice minister do this? Can the parliament do this? Is anyone out there to do something creative under the law of the land?
MR stole money (in Billions) and used them for his political campaign including ITN and other stuffs. He used Tsunami money for president campaign. It is factual and nothing to prove. The question is can we punish him? Who has the guts to do that? I am tired of reading the fucking yahapalanaya. UNPers and SLFPers are talking about good governance for 2 good years, regime has changed, and I do not see any creative judgments were given to bad guys like MR, GR, NR, BR, etc. If this is what you are talking about so called good governance, how in the world you are going judge and punish the very same bad devils including LTTE morons who killed many thousand innocent people during the last 30 years in your jungle court without a single neutral judge and court system. You challenged the UN and UNHCR and said UN has violated Sri Lanka’s law of the court – Really? Do you have law in this country or law of the court? If you say so, then show that you can take Rajapakse to the court. You losers and morons, you went to his home to take his words (about ITN issue for few million rupees) instead of ask him to report to the court. Your court system is failed. He ordered to killed many people and stole billions. How in the world you are going question him. What kind of court and law of this. You are one unique failed fucking state. No one out there to make a concrete decision on MR. You all are slaves to MR. You know what, this is my take: it doesn’t matter whether you are SLFP or UNP. You are the same uncivilized and tumbledown coin. You are simply other side tumbledown coin after January 8th. That is the only different between UNP and SLFP. You are never going to be a civilized, developed and a vision country for another 500 years because of your moron thinking. Sorry for this poor, innocent, peace loving people of Sri Lanka.
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Point of View / September 24, 2015
“The commission officers going to the place of the individual is tantamount to devaluing the law and demeaning the commission. It is only if the individual is paralyzed , bed ridden in hospital or in prison , such an arrangement is permitted”
As we all know, MR is mentally and intellectually handicapped, therefore the arrangement is within the law !
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Lion / September 24, 2015
What a shame concept that everybody is equal before law becomes hollow.Its a tragedy of our nation.
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Saman / September 24, 2015
Mahinda Rajapaksa is the number one robber in the world but unfortunately present government could not and can not bring him into justice.
Everyone….even citizen of globe know about dictator Mahinda Rajapaksa but authorities are blind.
If anyone thinks to reform the system of governing the country, all corrupted people must be incarcerated for life.
Mahinda Rajapaksa, his brothers, his three sons and all henchmen must be incarcerated soon without any trail and inquiry.
If not ….God Bless Sri Lanka…..
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Garam Masala / September 24, 2015
This is why the UNHRC and other members of the international
community is very sceptical about Sri Lanka’s judicial system.
Here is a group of High Court Judges, sworn to uphold the law,
walking into Rajapaksa’s private residence.
If it is an ordinary Mohamed, Michael, Mahesan or Manivannan,
if they do not turn up before the Commission, there will be
a contempt charge.
FCID detectives go to Speaker’s official residence to record
Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s statement. A Commission of Inquiry goes to
Rajapaksa’s private house.
The law in Sri Lanka is a joke. Avant Garde goes free. Lalith
Weeratunga and Anusha Pelpita who robbed Rs 600 million can
go scott free without arrest. Sirisena tells the IGP not to
take them in. Here again, an ordinary citizen would have been
counting bars. Imagine a man like Weeratunga, considered at that
time by fools as the bureaucrat number one, is nothing more than
a crooked rogue. When his step son Usliyanage was to be deported
from USA for visa violations, he got him employed at the Sri
Lanka Embassy in Washingto.
This is Sri Lanka. Things will never ever change. They will remain
the same be it under Rajapaksa or under Sirisena-Wickremesinghe.
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proudman / September 25, 2015
What did I write in one of my previous comment. You cannot do anything. Can you imagine a commission going to the resident of the accused for investigation in any country> NO, But this is Srilanka Mahinda is still the KING. So all of you who think that you can have court to instigator war crimes just go to sleep s o in your dreams you can have such a court and an investigation. Thats it. Jayjaweewa Rajapakse.
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The Rogue Ayer / September 25, 2015
“Rajapaksa had been questioned over the money owed to state-owned ITN TV for televising ads promoting him at the 2015 Presidential Election campaign.”
An unpaid bill?
Is this not a so called civil case? If I approach my OIC with an unpaid bill he will tell me it is a civil case and has nothing to do with the police.
ITN should demand that MR pays the bill and take him to court if he refuses.
Where is the suspicion of fraud and abuse of power?
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Hamlet / September 26, 2015
“Instead of summoning Rajapaksa to appear before the commission at BMICH, where sittings are held, the commission members had visited Rajapaksa’s official residence in Colombo.”
This is what is Called ‘Sinhala Buddhist’ ‘Eheyi Hamuduruvane’ Culture!
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