Newly-reinstated Finance and Mass Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera’s Personal Assistant (PA) Sameera Manahara who quit in August 2017 after he was arrested for allegedly carrying drugs, was spotted worshipping Samaraweera’s picture at the Finance Ministry yesterday.
He was seen with Samaraweera when the latter assumed duties at the Finance Ministry yesterday (20).
The photograph of Manahara worshipping Sanaraweera’s picture went viral today. However, after a severe social media backlash, Mamahara himself has deleted the pictures.
Sameera Manahara was arrested on August 5, 2017, while travelling in a luxury jeep with three other friends, on their way to a party. Cocaine, methamphetamine pills and hashish were found with the four men, and one of them later confessed that the drugs belonged to him. Manahara and the three others were released on bail.
Manahara insisted he had nothing to do with the drugs and alleged the media was on a witch-hunt against him and the minister. On August 8, last year, Manahara announced his resignation to ‘save the minister’ from ‘a well-planned conspiracy’ to ‘sling mud at the minister and the yahapalanaya government.’
However, it seems he is back in the employment of the minister despite his encounter with the law enforcement bodies. Manahara is no stranger to controversy; his connection with the minister is often commented on and in the many years he has worked with Samaraweera, he has accompanied the minister on his trips abroad, including to the luxury Four Seasons hotel in New York.
Related posts:
Mangala’s PR Officer Quits Amidst Drug Bust To ‘Save’ Minister From Mudslinging Campaign
Traveling To US With A ‘Young Man’ – Mangala Clarifies
Homosexuality, Happy Marriages & Mangala Saga
Don Stanley / December 21, 2018
Ok no problem if he is Mangy’s partner. This is a sort of irrelevant and salacious mud slinging at Bondscam Ranil’s butterflies.
The REAL problem is that the so called Finance Minister of Sri Lanka is totally and utterly UNFIT for the Job and to save the crashing economy and ruppee that is the IMF debt trap and bailout business!
Mangy know NOTHING about Finance or Economics and is totally unfit to defend the crashing Lankan economy and rupee that is being played by capital markets and sovereign bond traders and dodgy rating agencies like Nomura. Mangy is a former hairdresser and fashion designer and is simply following Millennium Challenge Corp and IMF Fake development Economic Hit men’s fake development advice- to beggar, asset strip Lanka and deliver it to Trumpland with Washington’s puppet Bondscam Ranil.
/
craig / December 21, 2018
Yes you are right. Mangala has no sense or sensibility to carry the torch of a finance minister. He certainly has other strengths which he must pursue with vigor. A finance minister must have a “financial” background..
The fact that he has employed Sameera Manhara as his Personal Assistant (PA) is dangerous. Why should he worship Mangala?
/
Native Vedda / December 22, 2018
craig
–
Please let me know who actually had any “financial” background before they were being appointed Finance Minister?
–
Junius Richard Jayewardene a lawyer by profession
Oliver Ernest Goonetilleke, maybe.
M. D. H. Jayawardena lawyer, businessman ….
Stanley de Zoysa a lawyer politician
M. M. Musthapa (22 November 1959 – 5 December 1959) ???????????
Felix Dias Bandaranaike a lawyer
C. P. de Silva
P. B. G. Kalugalla
T. B. Ilangaratne
N. M. Perera (the man who prevented Sri Lanka from taking off in its stages of growth)
U. B. Wanninayake
Ronnie de Mel, maybe
Naina Marikkar
Dingiri Banda Wijetunga (former policeman, Co-operative Inspector, …)
Chandrika Kumaratunga development economics
K. N. Choksy Lawyer
Sarath Amunugama civil servant
Mahinda Rajapaksa, librarian, actor, lawyer, hand in the till politician ……….. (23 November 2005 – 9 January 2015)
Ravi Karunanayake (maybe)
–
Now tell us do you need a specialist man with “financial” background.. if the country’s economy is going be ruined as happened in the past 70 years? Any one can ruin it you don’t need particular education, experience, …..
/
Mohamed / December 21, 2018
Why people expect Finance minister to be an economist, sports minister to be a sportsman? So Tourism minister should be a tourist and the Defense minister should be a military man?
.
We don’t need technical qualifications for ministers, they only need to be honest, disciplined, know to manage the ministry, and take the right decision in consultation with their learned secretaries.
/
Thushara / December 22, 2018
Mohamed I agree with you. A minister doesn’t need to be proficient in the same subject. They only need to be efficient and possess good management & administrative skills.
There are educated secretaries, advisers and consultants for them to seek assistance. When it comes to finance it’s the CB governor & his team that assists FM.
/
Janaka from Matara / December 22, 2018
Mohamed: You have an argument here. The premise for that is that the bureaucrats surrounding the minister are top-notch technocrats & are completely honest. But, I am not sure that it is a given in Sri Lanka.
/
whywhy / December 22, 2018
Mohamed ,
One of the top three presidents of the U S , Abraham Lincoln was self
educated lawyer , total of his schooling is said to be one year ! President
Reagan was a Hollywood actor . Prime minister Modi is called a tea boy !
Simply put , a Minister’s responsibility is to oversee implementing of
government policy of the department under him ! If the minister needs
any professional qualification to be a minister then the voter NEEDS TO
BE PROFICIENT TO ELECT AN M P ! In England any common wealth
citizen living in the country legally , has a right to be part of electing the
government . The picture here is not worship , it is just offering respect
to his boss . Now , if you are a boss and have Sinhala employees , on the
New year eve , some or all of your Sinhala employees will fall at your feet
in great respect . That is not worship , no weakness either !
/
Jo / December 22, 2018
Yes, what is the problem? Is CT running out of stories?
What Mangala is concerned he is in good company. Name me one Minister who is fit for the job. They are fit for one thing only and they are very good in it: collecting money at the expense of others and making full use of their position. A lucrative capability I would say.
/
rajash / December 22, 2018
Don Stanley – there is one common denominator in your post “asset strip Lanka”
and there are two countries eyeing for it USA and China
USA with Ranil as the agent
China with Mahinda as the agent
whoever wins the losers are ordinary Sri Lankans
so kick both the bastards Ranil and Mahinda out
/
Janaka from Matara / December 21, 2018
You morons dont know that this is the local way of saying “Welcome”? When Ranil was being sworn in as PM few days ago, did he worship pissu Sira by doing the same gesture?
/
rajash / December 22, 2018
Janaka from Matara “the rumour is Pissu Sira worships Mahinda’s photo every morning!”
/
Amarasiri / December 21, 2018
Minister Mangala Samaraweera,
Suva Mangalam, with the drug “dealer” or drug “addict”.
Can you get Sirisena and Ranil get addicted and make them go mad. Right now they are making the country go mad.
/
Ashok / December 21, 2018
Mangala’s personal matters are his issues. Its between him, his partner, his family and his god. We do not care about his smanale brigade or behavior. But, news papers have an absolute right to publish them cause he is a public figure, unless of course writer acted in malice knowing that the story is falls. The bigger issue is, Mangala is not fit for the job. He immediately slashed the petrol prices which he was increasing after the implementation of his so called ‘price formula’, until MR had the balls to scrap his formula and reduce it during his 40 day PMship. These guys are gut less and do not have the balls to stand up against IMF and U.S/Aussie/Europe neo – liberal economic dictatorship. Their blind faith on neo-liberal policies will pull this country down slowly .
/
Thushara / December 22, 2018
Ashok,
MR didn’t scrap the price formula. It’s just a drama to deceive public. Price formula still exists. If you check at the central bank you’ll learn it.
Mangala also reduced oil prices according to the same formula due to the drop of oil prices in the world market few days ago.
/
Mallaiyuran / December 21, 2018
Mangala may be celebrating his first victory, in the new parliament, somewhere in a Colombo bar. His Vote on Account is passed. I do not have voters’ analysis. But still it is interesting to look at it.
It was expected to be passed because if Ranil had found shortage of votes, TNA would have offered it. That is a deal between them. Slap Party members had even published a fake letter of such a deal, like in 2014 Attanayake did. TNA-UNP woe is not secret for Slap party get into illegal means to prove it. But those Modayas born to be illegal cannot fix them anyway.
The big topic here is Old Royals or the Slap Party or the Joint Comedy Club is in tied up situation of not being able to not support to Votes of Confidence. Every time when TNA supporting something but they are not supporting, then they would beat on their face with their hand. They are in a locked up situation when they decided to sit on the benches of opposition with TNA. Now are getting remote controlled by TNA though they claims it is UNP that TNA controlling.
Entire last 3 year history, Old Royals bashed TNA, who was in opposition, but voting for Yahapalanaya Budgets. When every time there was a budget presented, Joint Comedies concentrated on TNA voting for it from opposition, instead constructively criticizing the budget. This time their votes were not needed, but they ended up voting for it to save their face.
Mangala took it from Ravi when Mangala was demoted on the UNHRC issues. Ravi was accused on CB looting and New King forced him out. Ravi was rated as best Finance Minister because he engineered the bond floating with PTL and successfully raised money more than CB needed that time and made the Yahapalanaya Government start to roll, after the Treasure was cleaned complete and deposited on foreign banks to make the majestic number $18B.
/
Thushara / December 21, 2018
CT,
How could this be a news. Any minister can appoint anyone as there PA and that PA can worship the photo of their minister. It’s their personal preference. Is there any law prohibiting such practices.
By publishing this story CT have come on par with the president who delivered a speech about butterflies.
Please be ethical. Talk how Mangala carries out his duties as the finance minister. Other personal matters are irrelevant to the public.
/
Raj / December 21, 2018
It is accepted that in SL, cronyism is normal, particularly, in politics. Those lower down the line are happy to bum suck without any shame as even the crumbs from the table of politicians are more than generous. Then there are also hero worshippers living in denial even if they have no personal gain, blinded by religious rhetoric & misguided sense of ‘patriotism’. We elect blatant crooks & uneducated yobs to Parliament, & they in turn, allow similar incompetent, self serving punks, some well past retirement, through the back door, & we all live happily in a ‘country like no other’ with regular fiascoes among the parliamentarians for our amusement & the merriment of the outside world.
I suppose sense of duty, integrity & shame are no longer traits among most Sri Lankans. It’s a dog eat dog world with a new middle & upper class having the good life at the expense of the average citizen who have no access to the privileges & connections of the politicians.
No wonder SL is in such a mess.
/
Sampath / December 21, 2018
We should ask some valid Question to him.
1. he should tell what is his plan to strengthen the currency value in each quarter of 2019.
If he can not tell such targets then he is not even equal to a CTB bus conductor who knows the target on a daily basis rout wise.
I am sure Mangal does not even have an expert to set such target in advance.
As usual, will go to other countries to beg loans.
Sham on all the finance ministers including Mangala.
You all are the burden to the nations.
/
Suresh / December 21, 2018
Totally agree.
How does a former dress maker end up as FM?
But then again BOTH HE & RW HAVE BRAINS in the same spot.
Even if RK is called a rogue by some, he knew how to handle this v important ministry.
Now it ll be run by all MS’s rogue friends – ukwatte, Raju Chandran both who robbed SL airlines & his other fuzzy luxmi J for whom he had a massive birthday bash @ FM expense while he was the former FM
/
edwin rodrigo / December 21, 2018
I think worshipping Mangala is better than worshipping all those yellow robed thieves, cheats and child molesters who go as Buddhist Priests. They are a disgrace for Buddha Sasana,
/
Amarasiri / December 23, 2018
edwin rodrigo,
Let’s remove Sangha, who wear the yellow robes from the Triple Gem.
Then we will have a Double Gem, Buddha and Dhamma, to worship, and that is the way it ought to be, because of corruption by Sangha
Buddhists take refuge in the Three Jewels or Triple Gem (also known as the “Three Refuges”).
The Three Jewels are:
1 the Buddha, the fully enlightened one
2. the Dharma, the teachings expounded by the Buddha
3. the Sangha, the monastic order of Buddhism that practice the Dharma, Fully corrupted by the Sri Lankan Buddhist Monks
Do the Catholics take refuge in The Pope? No, Only Jesuus
Do the Jews take refuge in The Prophets? No, Only Yahweh
Do the Muslims take refuge in Prophets Mohamed ? No, Only Allah
So why are the Sinhala Buddhists taking refuge in the Sangha, who abuse children and commit crimes?
Child Abuse by a Monk in Habaraduwa
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNSC93mPs4I
She sent her grandson to school with the idea of providing him with proper education to make him a good person. The Buddhist monk in charge of the temple asked her to send the child to the temple and she sent him there because they were poor. There was no possibility for them to pay the money for tuition fees. That was the reason why they sent the boy to the temple school.When the child began to refuse going to the temple school so adamantly, grandmother had to look for the reason. It was then only that she discovered that the child who was sent to learn good behavior, ethics and Buddha’s Dharma from the monk had in fact been abused by the monk.
/
Vasithi Kolonne / December 21, 2018
Mangala is a big head bafoon who is not suitable to hold the finace ministry. He does not know anything except big mouth. He was mollycoddled by Chandrika. Sack him and appoint Ravi K as finance minister to save Lanka’s economy.
/
Real Revolutionist / December 22, 2018
Vasithi Kolonne
Sacking Mangala is right but appointing Ravi, who even doesn’t deserve to be a back bench MP is wrong.
/
Real Revolutionist / December 21, 2018
Ah, what an exposure by a humble PA.
This PA might be better than his master to hold the same portfolio in the coming days whenever necessity has arisen.
/
Lankan No 03 / December 21, 2018
This is not needed .
CT keep your respect and do not publish any bad news like this .
/
K.Pillai / December 21, 2018
There are journalists, political scientists and others who worship the MR-team. Here we have Mangala’s PA worshipping. CT must tell us which one is wrong. Both?
/
wannihami / December 21, 2018
There is nothing wrong if the PA is taken care of in more ways than one by Mangala, as the Don Stanely says the real problem is Mangala’s finance capabilities.
/
Native Vedda / December 22, 2018
wannihami
–
“as the Don Stanely says the real problem is Mangala’s finance capabilities.”
–
If a crook and war criminal was allowed to manage the economy from (23 November 2005 – 9 January 2015) why not Mangala? By the way The Finance Minister did not prepare national budget and submitted to the parliament between 2008 and 2010 for nearly 2 1/2 years.
/
K.Pillai / December 21, 2018
Mangala’s PA shown worshipping a photograph is no different to some journalists, political scientists and the like worshipping MR-team via lengthy articles.
/
JD / December 21, 2018
After the Court Verdict, which people say it was money that turned everything upside down (given just after the day that Ranil say Chatumharika DEviyane Palayaw, palayaw, that was in severe desperation) there was no dismissal of the cabinet. So, did the president gave appointment letters to the sme existed cabinet which Ranil wanted 36 but president made it to 29. I hear, thier salries were increased. President had to dissove the parliament as the rupee was crashing and people (not the placard carrying Civil society goons?) were uneasay. Anyway, Ranil needed to revert the OCtober revolution, In order to hide the CIABOC report release which he has hidden by indefinitely delaying the Bribery and corruption act relating to the Prosecution of the Bond Scammers. He wanted PENTHOUSE and MANGALA because, MCC needed them.
/
JD / December 21, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
/
JD / December 22, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
/
JD / December 22, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
/
Thepanis / December 22, 2018
Mangy’s partner or not…. Can you name anyone who is fit for the job among 30 or so morons listed as ministers, including the lunatic at the helm:-). Wonder why these morons request and in fight to get certain portfolios…. only reason I can think is to loot whatever comes under that portfolio.
RW will never learn. Arrogant as usual. RW too sounds like a lunatic like Gamarala to reappoint that known crook in good looking suits aka Ravi K. Wonder why Ravi K wanted Finance ministry. His only qualification to be finance minister is stealing from Lalith Athulathmudli. Ravi K should be in prison not in parliament, like most of the 225 in the parliament, except few.
If anyone wants to rescue SL…. all these 225 morons in the parliament should be sent home or better yet to heaven or hell… then start from the scratch.
Until then…. I have no idea what god or super power can bless SL:-) May be that woman in Anuradhapura…Sumanakka or whatever:-)
/
hancho pancha / December 22, 2018
Do not forget that these rogues received the highest number of votes from the stupid and dumb Srilankan electorates.
/
Mallaiyuran / December 22, 2018
There a list appeared in the media as the candidates rejected by New King to be appointed as Ministers. Ranil said action needs to be taken on those Media, as it did not exist and cited Vijithamuni’s name. But now Ponny and Ranga Banda said they are going to court for violation of their FR.
There are already 56 ministers already. Anura Kumara has blamed Ranil wants to have a fake National Unity Government formed with Hakeem. It is no longer TNA going to remote control UNP. But Ranil has asked Hakeem to do it. About 30 new Ministers’ fire and hire command is going to be with Hakeem’s “consent and withdrawal” to the National Unity Government.
At the same Ranil has given Higher education to Hakeem. When Justice Ministry was with Hakeem CJ was impeached. He did not care of it. He managed only Low College. It was said 72 Muslim students went to classes inside the Law School. Sinhala Students went to the roof of the Law School. Tamil students stood on the Roads. Hakeem taking up Higher Education is reminding Sirimavo time, Badiuddin time and the time of standardization.
Ranil took up Northern Development. This has stricken chill into the bones of Tamils. No Tamils now believe that there will be any Tamils lands left after Ranil is finished with his developments. Recently he promised to stick on the path set up Don Stephen. Even Sinhalese are worried about the ministries Ranil has allocated to Hakeem and Rishard.
Ranil should have appointed a minister to “Human Rights, Transitional Justice, Special Courts, and Devolution of power”. Ranils game is that this how he is going wish well Tamils to go to UNHRC. TNA should keeping reminding the game Ranil playing on the Tamils rights. He is the first one refused to give the funds allocated NPC when he became PM. That is how he split CV out of TNA and sent home.
/
Chitra / December 22, 2018
We need experienced, qualified people, to run this country, and various departments and Ministries, no matter man, women, gay, straight, caste or religion.
We also do not need golayas and people from someone’s inner circle in important jobs, because of that relationship. We need people who are capable and competent, to do that job. People who are dedicated to serve their country, and will put it first.
/
Gamarala / December 22, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
/
Raj / December 22, 2018
Mangala Saranam Gachchami.
This is the kind of staff that Mangala and other UNP ministers have, and can the average folks expect a impartial service from them?
What’s the difference between this regime and the previous ones?
/
kolla / December 22, 2018
the children of 1956.. worshipping the elders…those that ought to be “respected” . Banda screwed the nation forever
/
Dionysus / December 22, 2018
Sri Lankans need to grow up. People are different and have different likes and dislikes. Accordingly, besides heterosexuals, there are lesbians, gays, bisexuals and transgender. People who have nothing else to boast of do so about their sexual orientation and race. Get a life. Your male or female preference for coitus is no big deal. The world has advanced. Move ahead with it.
/
VIS8 / December 22, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2
/
Homo Sapien / December 22, 2018
Isn’t Mangala’s portrait facing the wrong way, and at an irrelevant height that his boys worship? He should be facing the other way and the photo needs to be about 3.5 foot from the headline. THen he will find many boys worshiping him!
/
clean slate / December 22, 2018
To be fair, Mangala does not like anybody worshipping him. Once at a function a small schoolgirl fell at his feet and he said for all to hear no one should ever worship him. It is against human dignity for one human being to fall at the feet of another, whether it be parent or teacher. Let’s do away with this abominable practice. Not in this enlightened day and age. The Sinhala people have got rid of the spittoon. Let’s give this demeaning practice the same treatment.
/