By Colombo Telegraph –
Dr Vickramabahu Karunaratne phoned the Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe and urged him not to write to Lord Christopher Patten, Chairman of the BBC Trust, regarding misconduct of its journalists, the Colombo Telegraph can exclusively reveal today.
Bahu and Ranil
Karunaratne phoned Dr Roger Srivasan, the immediate past president of the UNP’s UK Branch stating that he couldn’t get through to BBCs Chandana Keerthi Bandara and requesting that Srivasan tell Bandara that he, Karunaratne had contacted Wickremesinghe regarding the matter. When questioned Dr Roger told Colombo Telegraph that he didn’t know what the message was about, but passed the message to Bandara.
Two BBC journalists, BBC World Service producer Chandana Keerthi Bandara and the Colombo Reporter Elmo Fernando, applied for interest-free loans of Rs. 1,200,000/-each from 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, a move criticised by media rights organisations and the opposition as an attempt to purchase loyalty.
Talking exclusively to Colombo Telegraph Opposition UNP Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe said November 23 that he is writing to Lord Christopher Patten, Chairman of the BBC Trust regarding the misconduct of its journalists. “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 will also table the letter in Parliament,” the leader of the opposition said.
Roger, Chamal, Nimal And Ranil
Colombo Telegraph learnt that leftists Nava Sama Samaja Party leader Dr Vickramabahu Karunaratne phoned Ranil Wickremesinghe urging him not to write. We are not clear on what grounds he made this request. We assume that the reason is the fact that BBC journalists Chandana Keerthi Bandara is a member of his party.
The day before yesterday (December 18) Colombo Telegraph sent an email to Karunaratne asking whether he phoned Wickremesinghe or not . We asked him three questions;
1. We have credible evidence that you talked to Ranil Wickemesinghe and urged him to not write Lord Patern regarding BBC journalists applying for interest free loans. Why did you do that?
2. What is your opinion on your party member, BBC journalist Chandana Keerthi Bandara, applying for this interest free loan from state bank where the treasury paid the interest to the relevant bank using tax payer money?
3. Don’t you think that this is unethical and amounts to a bribe being given to journalists by the Rajapaksa regime?
He didn’t reply and when we sent a mild reminder he replied December 19 th just saying “thanks”. Then we again asked him to answer our questions, he chose not to. When he came on gmail chat and we again reminded him to answer our questions. He has not so far. Dr Vickramabahu Karunaratne regularly chats with Colombo Telegraph and its journalists.
In the meantime, he sent us his Wednesday column which the Colombo Telegraph refrained from publishing until he answers our queries.
The Colombo Telegraph has been unable to reach the Leader of the Opposition for comment. Both his office and home contacts informed us that he is out of the country.
Last week BBC Sinhala service head Priyath Liyanage tried to mislead the Nation editor Malinda Seneviratne by sending a clarification on a comment made by Seneviratne on BBC employees seeking to benefit from the aforementioned loan scheme. Liyanage said that no one from the BBC had obtained such loans and neither would they ever do so. When Seneviratne asked if loans had been applied for, Liyanage admitted that this was indeed the case, effectively demonstrating that he was deliberately concealing information vital to the matter at hand.
Related posts;
BBC Pussyfooting On “Takes” From SL Govt’
Real Peace / December 21, 2012
A leftist turned looter!
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John Wayne / December 22, 2012
The opposition should walk out of Parliament and get on the streets and EDUCATE the PEOPLE about the standoff between the judiciary and the Executive – over the carcass of the decayed and morally bankrupt legislature of Lanka at this time..
However, so-called leader of the opposition, Ranil Wickramasinghe who is HATED the people of Lanka (and media) because they despise and will NEVER vote for him, has placed a gag order on his UNP colleagues and left the country!
Ranil is collaborating with the Rajapassa regime to promote the MYTH OF THE superiority of the parliament of moronic politicians over the judiciary – rather than EDUCATING THE PEOPLE TO PREPARE FOR THE LANKAN SPRING COME 2013 TO OVERTHROW THE RAJAPKSE DICTATORSHIP!
Ranil Wickramasinghe is the slimiest and most unprincipled politician of all the slimy politicians in the Diya-wenna parliament of goons, fools, geriatric leftists and morons who fear the people and the press who he attacks daily.. Ranil who talks nonsense about parliament’s and its standing orders supremacy needs to be dumped by the UNP, if the party is to have any relevance to the crisis in the country and the LANKAN SPRING to overthrow dictatorship currently led by lawyers, professionals and students and civil society.
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sarath / December 26, 2012
Dr Karunaratne does not have a job. but he travels all over the world and attend meetings conferences and make derogatory statements against the Sri Lanka in side and out side Sri Lanka. He is well paid by some invisible hands to tarnish the image of the country in general and Govt in particular. his sources of income have to be investigated for the interest of the country.
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RW / December 21, 2012
Disgusting , it looks Bahu man using his so called Vipakshaye Vedikava to protect his corrupt henchmen. Pathetic :(
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Senaka Hetti / December 21, 2012
“The NSB share deal became a big crisis in the country. It was newspaper headlines every day. So I summoned the relevant people and got them to return the money and cancel the transaction. We quietly covered it up, that is how it should be done after all, he is our man (ape miniha),” President Mahinda Rajapaksa said.
Now this man Bahu wants to shape his man.
What is the difference between Bahu and Rajapkasa? Reading his columns in CT i thought at least Dr Bahu is a clean man. I think I’m wrong.
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Chootiya NSSP / December 21, 2012
Api ehemane ape minihata karanne nadda?? That is how we do it for our man, no
Hahaha Bahu became Rajapaksa ;) :) :) :) ;)
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Sashiya / December 21, 2012
Will Rani listen to this three wheel party? Mr Clean we are watching.
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frank hilary / December 21, 2012
A good one.
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Leftist looter / December 21, 2012
good one indeed. It looks Bahu is trying to abuse Mr Clean
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srilal / December 21, 2012
Dear CT Editors,
I find it difficult to understand why your staff failed/ignored to highlight the RW’s alleged underhand dealings with MR,if you yearn for ethical journalism , please do not censor this comment .
” RANIL BETRAYS MANGALA
IT IS A WELL-KNOWN SECRET THAT THERE IS A DEEP MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN RANIL WICKREMESINGHE AND PRESIDENT MAHINDA RAJAPAKSA AND WHEN ONE IS IN HOT WATER, THE OTHER WOULD RUSH TO HIS RESCUE. AND RANIL WOULD NOT MIND EVEN RESORTING TO BETRAYING HIS OWN CONFIDANTS WHEN THE NEED ARISES FOR HIM TO HELP MAHINDA. AN INSTANCE WHERE RANIL HAD BETRAYED MANGALA WHILE TRYING TO HELP THE PRESIDENT WAS REVEALED BY NONE OTHER THAN THE PRESIDENT HIMSELF AT A FUNCTION HELD IN MATARA RECENTLY.
PRESIDENT RAJAPAKSA WAS THE CHIEF GUEST AT A CEREMONY HELD IN MATARA LAST MONDAY TO FELICITATE VEN. GOMBADDALA NANDARAMA MAHA THERA ON HIS APPOINTMENT AS THE MAHA NAYAKA THERA OF THE SRI ROHANA PARSHAWAYA OF THE SHYAMOPALI MAHA NIKAYA. WHILE ENJOYING A CHIT-CHAT WITH SEVERAL MINISTERS, INCLUDING DULLAS ALAHAPPERUMA AND LAKSHMAN YAPA ABEYWARDENA AT THE CONCLUSION OF THE CEREMONY, THE PRESIDENT HAD CONFIDED IN THEM THAT MANGALA SAMARAWEERA HAD SENT A CONFIDENTIAL LETTER TO THE COMMONWEALTH COMMITTEE ON MEMBERSHIP REQUESTING THEM TO INTERVENE TO SETTLE THE DISPUTE BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE JUDICIARY.
THE MINISTERS WERE NATURALLY SURPRISED TO HEAR THIS NEWS. BUT, WHAT SURPRISED THEM MOST WAS TO HEAR THE SOURCE OF THIS IMPORTANT INFORMATION. “HOW DID YOU KNOW THAT MANGALA HAD SENT SUCH A LETTER?” THE MINISTERS HAD ASKED. “WHEN RANIL WAS SPEAKING TO ME OVER THE PHONE LAST NIGHT, HE TOLD ME ALL ABOUT THIS. HE SAID EVEN HE DIDN’T KNOW ABOUT THE LETTER. THEN I TOLD HIM TO SEND ANOTHER LETTER DISTANCING THE UNP FROM MANGALA’S LETTER,” WAS THE PRESIDENT’S NONCHALANT REPLY”
COURTESY:CEYLON TODAY 15/12/2012
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Lakshman / December 21, 2012
Oh looks like this Srilal guy needs abuse CT too, I saw he put this same Tiran Alles newspaper story under lots of other stories, since it has published. Talk then Tiran’s underhand dealings with MR. All underhand dealings. Can’t you see what is the substance of above story??
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srilal / December 21, 2012
Hello “Leftist looter ” ,
Sorry to hurt your feelings about your Mr clean , Laxhman! how did I abuse CT ? I made a kind REQUEST(since CT does not have a hidden agenda , they published my post ), is that an abuse ?
Who is abusing CT using two different names simultaneously?
You say
“I saw he put this same Tiran Alles newspaper story under lots of other stories “
I posted only once and that was a different segment of the same article and had a relevance to the said topic.
i know Tiran A is a crook and not in good terms with RW , but fact remains is the Alleged story factual ?
Why can’t you take the constructive criticisms in right spirit?
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Mark / December 22, 2012
Srilal,
Your comments amply demonstrates what kind of leader your budy is. He does not give two hoots for anyone and what they say in confidence. In other words he is a depitakattuwa. As for the leader of the opposition if he had such a phone call he needs to check into a mental hospital.
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srilal / December 23, 2012
who is my leader/budy ?
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Ruwan / December 22, 2012
Looks like we have got another laudry operator other than Kehewali in Mara’s toilet in srilal! The sole purpose of this maggot during all his pathetic life is to write lies and rubbish to defame UNP and Ranil! No one cares what this fucker wirtes!
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srilal / December 23, 2012
you must be Ranil’s Mervin silva so i have no time to waste on you pal.
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Sanjaya - France / December 21, 2012
This is what we called “Vipakshaye vedikava” ;) :) Using opposition platform to cover up “our man” What kind of political ethics are you talking about Mr Vama Bahu? :(
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Safa / December 21, 2012
I was wondering why the happenings in Sri Lanka are not covered adequately by international news services. CNN, BBC, Al Jazeera report even the smallest stories from other countries like India, Pakistan etc. but not Sri Lanka.
I think now we have the answer.Either there personnel here are covering up or they are scared for their lives. It may be the latter as we know what happened to Lasantha, Fredrica etc.
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dicky Bird / December 21, 2012
Vikrama Ranilge Bahuwa wela.
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K.A Sumanasekera / December 21, 2012
lf one is to use Airlines parlance,Ranil is born and bred First Class, while Bahu is Cattle class, who gets upgraded to Business class occasionally depending on the needs of Ranil’s associates both local and overses.
Here is an associate of course from the prolateriat, who has got a little favor and it is the moral obligation of Dr Bahu to give him some help to protect his job,while retaing the favor, although the job involves working against our prolateriat inhabitant majority.
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rosko99 / December 22, 2012
I am totally shocked but frankly not surprised at the vicious, low class comments on this website. Before we make any condemnations let us hear what Bahu has to say. In case anyone doesn’t know, Bahu has been a lone voice of consistency and courage for decades and I wonder what the track records and qualifications of all his detractors, all with convenient pseudonyms, are. Do you all have the moral authority and right to cast judgement on this man who has faced the forces of oppression? Name yourselves if you have any decency and self respect like he has.
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DW / December 22, 2012
Bahu the menace of the left movement…what self respect he has…He and his three wheel party should be banned from contesting elections… He is just like another politician in SL…just given the chance he will also try to protect his henchmen from all kinds of corrupt projects…i wonder where are the arms he got from JRJ regime to protect himself from JVP those days….may have sold them too….did he return them to the state?
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jaya / December 22, 2012
This is a “PAPADAM” front which pave the way MR to be in the power by suppressing of all genuine opposition groups. Also Bahu is so clever forming of break away groups to destroy political parties which belong to same doctrine which he believes in order to give the benefit for opponents. I feel that he tries to crepe to the “Hotel Diyawanna Oya” by using political parties which are based capitalism system. “Ane kale wane Wase” .
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Latimer / December 22, 2012
Ranil did Bahu the favour and did not send the letter ?!!???
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Leon / December 22, 2012
Bahu,
This is totally unacceptable. CT is correct in not providing space for your rants until you answer the questions posed by CT. I stand by CT.
Whatever regard I had for you will not be there for you any more.
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Jayantha / December 23, 2012
First I want to know if this is President’s Mother’s money…..that he give Interest Free Car allowance and Free Laptops to Reportes…..
It is a common sence now…. that the President Knew that the CJ impeachment is on it’s way….and wanted to prepare the Media to give him a favourable opinioin on this. So he actually BRIBED THE media personnel by this laptops and cars……….and some free media people like BBC fell into that trap which at that moment they never knew about the CJ impeachment business………..and only after fallen they saw the gravity.
So Priyantha would have called Bahu for help.
But the general public and some of these respondants forget to see the root cause of this whole issue…….which is this Vicious MARA.
Also read the following……
1)President has no business to put his arm around ex CJ Sarath N. Silva in a funeral home…..(where he had not spoken with SNS for months and SNS has avoided MR)….. and take a photograph and published in newspaper fronts.
2)President has no business to put his arm around John Amaratunge (where JA was invited to dinner at speaker’s house) and published in newspapers.
3) Similarly taking photos with Gaddafi (dead),….CJ on son’s law graduation, taking dance troops on tours, cutouts all over Sri Lanka…..what all these means….other than suffring from inferior complex.
4)President cut off Rs 2 million fund given free by UNDP for Lawyers annual 2012 convention
5) President bribed over 100 opposition MP’s to cross over.
6) Going recently to hospital to see UNP MP Jayalath Jayawardena…..and also Wijayadasa Rajapakse’s house and putting photos in the news media.
I could write more……but
I will guarantee that Ranil W. never called MARA on Mangala Samaraweera’s case. Infact it is MARA who could have called Ranil to find out about this and made a story. Ranil is not that of a Cowed to tell all these to MARA…..as RW is a different breed. Please read all the GOVT newspapers and TV news and listen yourselves to all these lies. MARA is just a Hambantota Rukada (Muppet) Joker….with full of lies ….and a deceiver.He is nothing but a POISON. Only it takes time for one to understand his internal organs…….and many times it could be too late.
But…But….The CJ and the Judiciary will teach him and 117 plus Seven.. the unforgettable lesson……Wait for surprises.
THEREFORE PLEASE READERS AND THE COMMENTATORS…..DON’T BELIEVE HAMBANTOTA COMMEDY RUKADA MUPPET JOKER….Think deep.
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Jayantha / December 23, 2012
The latest I herd was President is planning to give away Brand new Mercedes Benz cars to Judges and Senior Lawyers in Bar association.
This is when the Judges themselves already have their own vehicles and THEY DO NOT TRAVEL BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT.
What do you think he plans to do other than to break the unity among JSA members.
Await for further news.
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Jayagath Perera / December 23, 2012
Bribery and corruption, both direct and indirect is rampant in this country. Givers have no place if there are no takers. Both in the private sector and the public sector, you need to give sweeteners to get things done. It is also known that both Journalists and Judges are acceptors of sweeteners. What is the difference between Journalists being given loans to buy vehicles, judges being given luxury vehicles and judges being given hefty discounts in buying flats from the private sector? It is all to bend the taker to the givers side.
Good God! Aren’t we a nation of rogues?
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Chandra P / December 24, 2012
I had the misfortune of hearing to Chandana keerthi Bandara’s ‘excuses’ why he has done that.
After shouting at me for ‘daring’ to ask him about the incident, he said that he did NOT know that the interest for the “loan” will be paid by the Sri Lankan people on behalf of him. When i asked then who he thought would be paying the interest (going rate in Sri Lanka at the time is 18%-20% APR), he said it could be a loan without interest. I tried to explain him in economics terms there could be no loans without interest in today’s world and someone has to bare the burden. My concern was if he really did not know about the ‘interest free’ part he is not fit to be a journalist anywhere, let alone in BBC. Anyone with an agenda can mislead these journalists and plant a news through them.
It appeared that he (and his boss and accomplice)is trying to say as he did not collect the money he has not done anything wrong. My question was that we don’t know whether he would have or have not accepted money had the loan got granted. Apparently he was lured to a trap knowing his greedy nature,but the ease he got in to it was not worth for a BBC man. had the loan approved and the issue hadn’t became public, we all know what would have happened.
As it goes, now he owes Manhda as well as Ranil not to mention his comrade Bahu. And the public knows his lack of judgement and that he has a price. Where his journalistic credibility stays today (if it existed prior to this).
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Janaka Fernando / December 24, 2012
This looks like a one sided story. Even Ranil has not confirmed that Bahu spoke to him. CT is jumping the gun even before a proper investigation. Why don’t you get the details straight from the horse’s mouth even if it takes some time and then confirm it from the people who are actually involved.
By the way, do not trust this Malinda fellow, a government pandamkaraya (Rajapakshe bootlicker). He is nothing but a blatant liar.
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Peter Casie Chetty / December 25, 2012
I am surprised but then one cannot expect more from Politicians who are bork crooked and will stay crooked forgetting that the more the ruin the country the more people will want to kick them out of power. I hope it happens before it is to late.
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R.M.B Senanayake / December 29, 2012
Shame on you Bahu. I had high regard for you but have now devalued to the lot of other Sri Lankan politicians
R.M.B Senanayake
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