The recent spate of attacks against Government Spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella by at least one newspaper whose owners are close to the President has been sanctioned at the highest levels, Colombo Telegraph learns.
The Nation newspaper owned in part by President Rajapaksa’s nephew Prasanna Wickremasuriya published a lead story on Sunday (19) charging that Media and Information Minister Keheliya Rambukwella is implicated in an irregular transaction where Rs. 3.3 million was obtained from the state run Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) for a vehicle purportedly being used for personal purposes.
Quoting highly placed government sources, The Nation newspaper said that during the period between July 2010 and August 2011, the Minister had obtained Rs. 240,000 per month from the SLRC for a Land Cruiser Jeep that was in his fleet of vehicles and the then SLRC authorities had meekly done the payment violating all rules and regulations pertaining to such transactions.
It is not immediately clear why the President and senior officials may have sanctioned the action against Minister Rambukwella but sources said the conflicts could be linked to allegations that the Minister forced out former Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Chairman, Mohan Samaranayake. Samaranayake remains Presidential Media Spokesman and claims the Minister had forced him to quit the post.
The internal rift is the latest in simmering tensions between various rival factions within the Rajapaksa regime. It comes in the wake of a major row between Prime Minister D.M. Jayaratne and UPFA alliance partner the Jathika Hela Urumaya over the heroin scandal. The JHU is bringing major pressure to bear upon the regime over Jayaratne continuing to hold office. The Prime Minister represents the SLFP Old Guard that is engaged in a silent war with the Rajapaksas within the party.
The Nation editor Malinda Seneviratne when contacted by Colombo Telegraph said, ‘The minister may have been aware or he may have been ignorant about this issue. However, this irregular transaction has been carried out in his name. The Minister, we hope, will respond. More importantly, there is the question of irregularity on the part of officials. Rupavahini has a new Chairman. We are confident that he will look into it and clear things up. I don’t know what this ‘sanctioning at the highest levels’ is all about. What we publish is not vetted by anyone, high or low.”
crazyoldmansl / January 21, 2014
Ah good. Will this 3 million issue pave the way fort investigation of the 3 Billion issues?
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T Wickramaratna / January 21, 2014
Keheliya nothing to worry you have earned enough and more by washing dirty clothes. So if things become uneasy, you can go home and live happily. Good luck.
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Andre / January 21, 2014
See all these are learnt lawyers.
Lanken lawyers should be defined differently… Thirisannu…
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Palayang yako! / January 21, 2014
The only thing worse that Keheliya’s behaviour is that of the pandankaraya and moral eunuch working for the Rajapassas at the Nation, Ms Linda Seneviratne!
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Senerath K / January 21, 2014
Probably Keheliya doesnt wash enough dirty linen of MaRa.
Since MaRa sactions the news now Keheliya will again start washing MaRa family underwears 24/7.
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Sama / January 21, 2014
No he is doing that, but this man MR is not second to present day North korean leader who executed his uncle lately.
MR is proved to be a: criminal minded, murderous, unpredictable, malevolent, revengeful by all nature character.
Please check it yourself going through any incident and the course of its situation. There, you will know why I call him as above.
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mike / January 22, 2014
I concur. Guess who murdered his first wife??
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Sirimal / January 22, 2014
was was married before ? I have no idea please add more about this ?
who killed whose former wife ?
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Maghribi / January 21, 2014
The protocol to Presidente Rajapaksa who arrived in Abu Dhabi, is the Chairman of the Department of Municipal Affairs.
Heads of States shy away from bad publicity.
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Spring Koha / January 21, 2014
Kehelmalla couldn’t care less, if things turn sour he can always make a getaway to a nice peaceful retreat down under.
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Sama / January 21, 2014
I believe – the days ahead of us will be fine for us all.. UFTA COALITION will not last LONG as they predict…
today headlines read:
a) PM Jayarante fearlessly attack calling spade a spade in terms of some buddhist monks
b) On this thread itself we see, MR attacks his party men, powerful ones – publicly
c) Mervin^s appointment – will truly work on U-turn
d) Hirunika has become 100 sympathy to Zero sympathy among masses
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Sama / January 21, 2014
as we all know – this Kehelmal is very cunning and trying all means to ignore sometime very important questions raised in press conferences
E.g at the time, Mervin ^son was arrested, Kehelmal did try to reject the questions directly.
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Andre / January 21, 2014
Why should MR himself travel to Abu Dhabi today ? Dont they have country representatives ? How many millions loose the airline by his state travels ?
Meeharaka has no plan for the nation than wasting people^s funds. That is it.
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george jilmart / January 21, 2014
what is there for mr to vet, you are his stooge and puppet
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MrRetort / January 21, 2014
Will he get a Chu thight and try to jump off a Boeing jet 30000 ft height while sleep walking? This is the problem with mentally deranged persons and I am sure he was not aware he was getting so much money for a vehicle of SLRC. When HENA MAMA is soiled who can clean him?
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Sirimal / January 21, 2014
I doubt whether Kehelmal even thought of this day. He sounded well trained to covert criminals from the day one.
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vishvajith / January 21, 2014
The bigger story is that Keheliya is a pole vaulter willing to jump ship and is reminded of his place in the food chain of politics.
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nimal dunuhinga / January 22, 2014
Alibaba and forty thieves I read in my childhood and I do not know about the new version?
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Leon / January 22, 2014
Why can’t the President raise the matter with the Minister instead of getting the fawning newspaper do the dirty work?
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shankar / January 22, 2014
He can always come back to the UNP like karu can’t he?The UNP doors are always open to those who have undergone a rehabilitation course with the rajapakshe’s.
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Sirimal / January 22, 2014
Yes, these bunch not only Kehelmala but all others would do so looking at to which direction the wind blows next. wait and see :(
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Rod / January 22, 2014
You can ask many beauties KR vista regularly of his antics.
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Bensen Burner / January 22, 2014
Leave poor Keheliya alone. He suffers from the familial diseases of sleep walking and talking while he is asleep. The latter accounts for his talking nonsensical lies. These transactions might have occurred while he was fast asleep. Bensen
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Kehelmal Horapolla / January 22, 2014
Keheliya the Koki has cooked himself enough.
This SLRC card deal is nothing compared to
the Defender Jeep deal. Ask those who know
and they will tell you.
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Sirimal / January 22, 2014
30 years ago in the country, I thought – port workers are the most abusive, corrupted, bribe greedy ones, but today – lawyers are the worst – like blood sucking mosquitoes.
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Piranha / January 22, 2014
Oh dear, Joseph Goebells Rambukwella is under attack by other propagandists of the regime? What on earth has he done to merit this treatment? Not serving his master with enough enthusiasm? Whatever happened to Hitler and his merry men will happen to Rajapoxa and his apologists and propagandists too. That time is not too far away, folks.
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janith / March 8, 2015
WP KL 1881 landcruiser jeep was earlier used by Meravin silva’s gangsters
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