The Colombo Telegraph can now reveal the name of the Presidential photographer who was barely escaped arrest at the Dubai Airport last week after stealing a camera worth Rs. 300,000 from the duty free shops inside the airport en route to Colombo from Kenya with President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s entourage.
Vijayananda Herath
Milinda Ratnayake, an official photographer attached to the Presidential Media Unit was caught on close circuit television footage at the Dubai airport trying to make off with the merchandise hidden in his bag. Shop staff had observed him stealing the camera before he was detained by airport security.
“We have the highest respect for President Rajapaksa. We are, therefore, releasing you. Otherwise, you would have ended up in jail,” one airport security official told the photographer.
After his return to Colombo, Ratnayake has been relieved of his duties.
A similarly embarrassing event took place when President Rajapaksa visited Belarus in August this year. An official complaint had been lodged to the Ministry of External Affairs through diplomatic channels that a hotel where the Presidential delegation had stayed in Minsk was missing a bed cover.
The hotel had complained that Wijayananda Herath, the President’s Director of Sinhala Media had taken a bed cover from his room back with him.
Fathima / December 23, 2013
This is not a bad idea. Local habits are being practiced on the way too. Who knows who recommend to hijack it….
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Amarasiri / December 23, 2013
Monk Mahanama’s Sinhala Buddhist Dhammadepaya Habits……..
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Nimal F / December 26, 2013
Foremost step to be taken is to train president introducing him disipline and honesty. This is long overdue. None of the leaders in the past brought this kind of records.
If one could teach MR democratic standards that can then can overcome all of the problems facing our society today.
Like or not, believe or not, stupid masses will remain saying that MR is the leader who liberated the country from LTTE terror..
So, what we need right at the moment is- Interniatonal communities to teach MR regime good systems so that people can be saved from all dangers.
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Web / December 23, 2013
No wonder. If God is just, MR and GR also will be caught publicly for their robberies.
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Maratoni Makalga / December 25, 2013
Web
Not sure about those two.
Definitely all LTTE supports and idiots who have been doing credit card frauds, human smuggling, drug trafficking and taking ransoms from poor tamils to fund another futile war.
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Web / December 26, 2013
People are smart. No one wants another war. To avoid another war or disharmony is conversation. Unless it’s considered we can’t avoid other means.
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Rohan / December 25, 2013
Helping Hambantota…? Long forgotten. People in Sri Lanka are allowed to open their mouths only to eat.
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punchinilame / December 26, 2013
It is good to re-call this mighty theft and how SL Justice set
about it – here: http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20050703/spotlight.htm
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Dude / December 23, 2013
Sinhala Modeya-Godeyas employed by Mahinda Jarapassa, the biggest Godeya of all, are on the make all over the world – not just in the debacle of Asia!
These are the people who are bringing the country a bad name – with their stealing – following of course the example of the LEADER – Mahinda Jarapassa who is looting the wealth of the people of Lanka!
THE ROT AT THE TOP IS TRICKLING DOWN!
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Maratoni Makalga / December 25, 2013
Dude the Nude
Did you read the comments by the air-port security officer about the president MR. Comments like above from a pathetic looser like you is drop of a shit to a vast ocean.
You buggers lot the war carried out by Podian Preba and his monkey army. Now sour graph!!!!!!!!Is it?
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Maveeran / December 25, 2013
Shut the hell up you ponzi Sinhala Bugger. You Scavenging sinhalese are good at stealing and licking arses like your Sinhala ancestors did for thousands of years.
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Maratoni Makalga / December 26, 2013
Maveeran Gemmba
Go and ask you wife how ponsi I have been. Unfortunately I hav e been doing the essential service that are unable to carry out for her.
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Maveeran / December 27, 2013
[Edited out]
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Native Vedda / December 27, 2013
Maveeran
It is not true.
Your leader Prabaharan is not alive and he is not in Cambodia. Now can you include him in your Maveeran list.
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gamini / December 23, 2013
Tsunami Crabs young all moving sideways. What else to expect from these Buggers?
What is this special respect the Dubai Buggers have for the Tsunamipathi? Is it that MR steal Big Time and these Buggers are small timers?
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Siri / December 23, 2013
Gamini@,
These two men have learnt it from their boss.
Man, have we ever had this kind of news… in any times in the past ?
This is the message that the buggers pass to the world. Mage appe… buduma budusarnai apita.
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whywhy / December 23, 2013
Siri,this is a very serious issue.An army major or a
captain was caught stealing either in London or Paris
many years ago.Many Srilankans were jailed in Rome for
the same in eighties.Those were petite thefts by real
thieves.But, to steal on president entourage is utter
disgust.Relieving him of his job is not enough for
this kind of crime,stealing Rs 300,000 caught red
handed must rot in jail.Our country is filled with
thieves of many kind Siri. Clergy robbing the lay,
teacher robbing the pupil,Doctor cheats the patient
Businesses rob the consumer,unbelievably some mothers
and fathers rob their working sons and daughters and
children rob their parents and it’s a country of bunch
of thieves stealing daily under some or other excuse.
Who will rule them? Only another bunch of well fitting
smartest thieves and that’s what we hear everyday.
Changing colours won’t do a thing.
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FernandeS / December 23, 2013
It is just – no displine anyone close to MR and thugs.
Please name me if you contradict this. No predecessors of MR had fallen to this deep. It is all because of his WISDOM and VISION (MAHINDA BALU CHINTHANYA).
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FernandeS / December 23, 2013
This becoming known to many with the time. Sadly our people seem to take longer than any other folks do. This seems ot have no RELATION to high literacy or any other much higher social values but the perceptions.
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Netizen / December 24, 2013
petite thefts??
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Spring Koha / December 24, 2013
How very cute!
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Maratoni Makalga / December 25, 2013
Dear Whee-Whee
Only solution would have been your national hero Podian Preba. He was the king on smuggling.
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demon silva / December 27, 2013
maratoni makalga
so how is your [Edited out]
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Wera / December 31, 2013
VP is dead and gone good riddance you moron. Or haven’t you heard yet. Been licking so hard he thinks VP is still alive what a pathetic bufoon.
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gamini / December 23, 2013
Siri, the norm is that if one indulges in small measure, the Laws will apply. But like MR if you rob grand scale, Laws do not apply, infact they respect you. That is why MR was respected. Applying this principle if one posses a few grammes of Heroine he will be dealt with severe punishment. But if that same man is caught with over a few hundred Kgs of Heroine indictments will be withdrawn and will be set free. Similarly importing hundreds of Kgs of heroine, there will be no inquiry or arrest as was seen recently. This Bugger should not have stolen one Camera, but the whole shop. Then nothing would have happened and he would have been respected like for MR joining the Club of the larger League.
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Pius / December 24, 2013
Gamini@,
As I predicted CHOGEM became a used chewinggam: so, we ll see how the MR will continue his rule after March 2014.
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Palmsquirrell / December 23, 2013
How embrassing!
” We have the highest respect for President Rajapaksa. We are, therefore, releasing you. Otherwise, you would have ended up in jail,” one airport security official told the photographer.”
Why would they respect Rajapaksa?? Not like those Arabs treat Lankans with respect.
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Nanthana / December 23, 2013
What else can expect? If the master and his family rob the nation. why not me. Take cabinet ministers , most of the ministers are involved in a single or multiple crime of murder, rape, child abuse, fraud, and drug lords! .
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punchinilame / December 26, 2013
Right inside the family here, so who else matters:-[Edited out]
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Oma yang / December 23, 2013
Learning from the masters! Wonderful Asia beautiful people.
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Rev.Devil / December 23, 2013
”Three robbers break into a bank, but when they open the safe, there’s no money, only boxes. One robber opens a box and finds cups full of yogurt.
“We didn’t find any money, but we got something to eat,” he tells his partners. They eat their fill and leave.
The next morning’s newspaper reads: “World’s Largest Sperm Bank Robbed.”
We know who MaRa and his predators are !!? No wonder at all to hear about the disciples of a moron like MaRa !! But…
Anybody travelling through Qatar /Dubai (Especially with a brown skin)could simply see a third class ( or rather classless)treatment. I always wonder whether those blind believers of the 2000 years old scriptures were trained by a Sri Lankan Policeman !!?…Arrogant hospitality of that part of the world.
You can see the biggest joke in this story itself by the way they give credit to the mass robber MaRa and an insult to his disciple of the same profession !!? Creatures of the same dirty pond.
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Javi / December 29, 2013
“|”Arrogant hospitality of that part of the world.”|”
When the SL folk revel in their 96% literacy and above all send their women folk in drones to slave as maids for as little as $200 p/m leaving broken homes can anyone ask for better treatment from aggressive camels or similar Asians who work for these animals??
Till 9/11 it was the middle east card then the Pakistan and China card to 2009.
They don’t need another card as long as a sane India ignores multilateral requests against untrustworthy neighbour.
Only Lanka can kill itself at the end- after all bihari bandits!
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Rahula / December 23, 2013
Monkey see monkey do, they all use the biggest thieves the Rajapaksha family as an example.
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Namal Perera / December 23, 2013
Followed the Master, but picked the wrong Country. Probably the Joker took into grant that what they do so conveniently in the corrupt lawless Banana Republic could be done in other Countries as well.
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Sun / December 24, 2013
But why is that the average still seem to be respecting MR ?
Are lanken average that stupid ? Majority of them can read and write unlike the case in India or Pakistan or any other far poor countries. I have not lived in the hell for the last two decades, but when reading these news, I feel, why cant people stand against this man ?
I happened to watch a Youtube yesterday in which Anura priyadarshan yapa ? a powerful minister made Arjuna R and one of ther MP from Opposition made clear that CHOGEM is a big success to the country.
So now, the very same top guys from the govt utters no single about the pride of the Chogem: There Arjuna made very clear that why has govt purchased luxury cars not providing cheapest food item of the ordinary man in Rathupaswala – whichi is drinking water ? But none of the quesions could not responded by govt ministers or representatives. They all resound ” athi garu janadipathi”. …again and again..
Where have the nation GONE to this day ?
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Backlash / December 23, 2013
“The fish rots from head downwards” (Russian Proverb)
There was no declaration for the King at Dubai airport. A large sum
was paid and the so-called statement was a quid pro quo. Or else this rogue would have either been publicly whipped or stoned to death.
Backlash
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shankar / December 23, 2013
I don’t think it is fair to blame these blokes.It is in the DNA.We all know we are powerless against DNA and we have to just accept what our parents have passed on to us.Just imagine if we had the most saintly people like mother theresa,mahatma ghandhi coming and settling in srilanka over the last 2500 years instead of the buggers who came,what a country we would have been.The most saintly country in the world,where you can leave your doors all unlocked,where your daughters can roam about even at midnight without getting molested,where if you mention violence people will ask what that means.Srilanka the most boring saintly country in the world.Oh when the saints,oh when the saints,oh when the saints go marching on.It’s all in the DNA my friend,that’s what makes us interesting.
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Malani / December 23, 2013
Are you sure mother Theresa and Mahathma Gandi are saintly?
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Sun / December 23, 2013
Each and every politician or peace figures could be accused of some corruption. Not directly abusing funds, but in other areas. But to the level that the Rajapakshe bunch has been looting the country – ABUSING funds and manipulating all figures for their sak.. is not at all acceptable. People´s curse will alone be enough to send them to nemesis.
I have no doubt all the allegations and mud slinging events made on RW, CBK were just lies these buggers to abuse the nature. People those who attacked them then will have to rally round to them today… if they want to send these highly abusive rascals go home.
Jaya niyathai… people will consider all these soon.
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shankar / December 23, 2013
“Are you sure mother Theresa and Mahathma Gandi are saintly?” Compared to prabha and wijeweera,yes.
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Malani / December 24, 2013
Compared to them……You and me are saintly too my boy….
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shankar / December 25, 2013
Not only you and me but even the would be ethnic cleanser fathima fukshima alias lorenzo.Thanks for lumping me with you in the same basket though you might not be comfortable to have me as your neighbour if you knew iam in blood,steeped in it so much that returning would be more tedious than going over.mmm i love the smell of blood(like gota)and the screams and pain emanating from that body that i tear apart(i work in a abbatoir,all legal of course).Thanks again for putting me next to you.Oh what a feeling to be close to a saint.
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Malani / December 25, 2013
Shankar boy, I am more than comfortable to be next to you as I am an ardent fan of your comments. You are seems to be an interesting person having a great sense of humour. World needs people like you!! Please post as more comments as possible!!!
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Palmsquirrell / December 23, 2013
Exactly!
Mother Tereasa and M Gandhi were far from saintly; infact both did or said a lot of bad things , that gets ignored and glossed over.
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email / December 23, 2013
shankar ,
What the devil are you talking about???
mahatma Ghandhi and theresa are from India… and wasn’t it their that a girl was gang raped and thrown out of a bus??
So according to your theory, mahatma Ghandhi is a rapist??
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shankar / December 23, 2013
email,what i meant is if most of the people who came from india to srilanka and settled here were like those two,not just those two only coming here and ss you seem to misinterpret.Obviously with our chaotic violent but very interesting and colourful history we have had quite a motley crowd coming here,opposites of the two i mentioned just as an example.India may have had those two but many indians especially in the north are not like them,that is why north is having those rapes.Now just imagine if all those rapists came running here and settled down to escape the authorities there.Will we ever become a paradise.That is what happened here previously but not to the extent of rapists but pretty violent characters coming here either as soldiers or settlers running from the law.Rebirth is actually passing on your DNA to your children.You are reborn in them.So the vicious cycle will continue in the future.
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whywhy / December 23, 2013
Shankar,what else can Lions and Tigers can mean?
Hunting hunting and more hunting!Never a paradise!
you said it right Shankar.
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Piranha / December 23, 2013
The security guard has the highest respect for Rajapaksa? I am surprised he even heard his name before. Even then why should a mere security guard is a shop in an obscure small country have the highest respect for Rajapaksa? This is something the Daily News must have cooked up. Anyway, it is no surprise the Rajapaksa entourage are following their leader in stealing.
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Namal Perera / December 23, 2013
This Joker is known all over the World for turning our peaceful Democratic Sri Lanka to a corrupt lawless Banana Republic with Jungle Law that serve and protect only the CRIMINALS.
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Palmsquirrell / December 23, 2013
Yeah smells like BS story.
Having lived over there, I can’t imagine any security official (who would ultimately be a local Arab) giving such a gradiose boasting statement about a Sri Lankan president.
UAE does not need Lanka for anything so will not give a #$%@ about a Lankan President, as Arab only ever give respect to those more powerfull than them or someone they need.
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truth / December 25, 2013
You are absolutely right!!
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Safa / December 23, 2013
This is nothing compared to his golaya, Sajin who has robbed millions from Mihin. Modern day Ali Baba and his 1000 thieves.
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Sun / December 23, 2013
Why Karma seems to be stand still against these criminals ?
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Netizen / December 24, 2013
maybe next life.. karma postponed, but never erased
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MrRetort / December 23, 2013
The respect for leader and his pack of jokers who set an example of stealing every possible state as well as other resources of the country would try to do the same where ever they go. There is a saying JAMMETA WADA PURUDDA LOKUI. So this is the training given by the Chinthanaya.
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BBS Rep / December 23, 2013
Well on the subject of thieving, isn’t the whole engaged in it, in one way or another. Forget all the crass thievery of Tsunami funds, thievery by politicians via the tender process and petty thieving in shops and stores. Look at the big picture. They may call themselves big business, corporate sector, health sector or whatever. They may call the money they take off you as legitimate profit or legitimate interest. But if you delve deeper into the ethics of the systems that run our economies, they can all fall into the category of criminal enterprises. The Banks are officially sanctioned thieves that you have no option but to deal with. The petrol we buy may come from an oil field that the so called owners had no right to extract. The timber that decorates your house was stolen from a forest that the thief had no right to extract. The poisons sold by giant pharmaceutical companies with the connivance of health professionals are highly sophisticated form of thievery. Every penny we handle is somehow tainted money, whether we like it or not. So isolating these two miserable petty thieves and taking them to task is quite unfair, I think.
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Palmsquirrell / December 23, 2013
So your response to this embrassing incident and the grand scheme of thieveing by the Rajapaksa is to use the school yard argument of ” but but he did it too” .
Yes we are aware that thieving exsists in other avenues, but Rajapaksa thieveing is not a minor incident like that of perry thieves, it is the biggest thieving enterprise in Lanka.
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Sowden Edward Asange / December 23, 2013
not forgetting the funding by the Norway Ngo’s
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ruwan / December 25, 2013
pls. stick to the corruption @ hand BBS rep. Don’t try to avoid their sins by brining up others ones ! Childish and never works ! Yes, we know you are one of the Godaypakse As_ Licker’s !
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Dr. Maverick / December 23, 2013
Ali Baba and 40 thieves
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Ninja / December 23, 2013
There is nothing left to rob in the country?
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Darlin Silva / December 23, 2013
One is reminded of that sinhalese saying “If the master urinates whilst standing, the disciples will urinate whilst running” . (Gurunnanse hitagane muthra karanawanam, golayo duwa duwa muthrakaray)
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mom / December 23, 2013
Chih!
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Sri Lankan Muslim / December 23, 2013
My Sinhala Friends, This is Shame for all Nations. Atleast Muslims are treated well and they come to Budhist and Sinhalese, they ill treat as Third World. JIM SOFTY now must come out and comment on this section.
One Minster is Drug Dealer, other asking for Prostitution licenes, other asking for Illicit Liqor licence, other asking for Gambling licence, what a Sinhala Budhism this is… Shame. Muslims are straight, No is No, and any mistake in Killing, be headed :)
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Palmsquirrell / December 23, 2013
” Atleast Muslims are treated well and they come to Budhist and Sinhalese, they ill treat as Third World.”
Can you explain this comment as I don’t understand what you are saying here.
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Sun / December 23, 2013
Earlier I myself thought, embezzelment of Tsunami funds were just rumours but going through facts and figure found in current budget, many like me will further clear that Rajapakshe is just a pal horek. 52% budget allocations are just for the three ministries handled by his siblings and offspring. Now people will realize the situation – all lies cant stay as they are for that long.
2014 will be a boxing year for Srilanka and the nation.
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Lanka Muslim, UK / December 23, 2013
Poor chap he too thought of ‘Making hay while the sun shines’ like his masters but only did not know how to do it without getting caught. He should have got some advice from the masters.
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FernandeS / December 23, 2013
I wonder why the President did not apply ape miniha (our man) principle in this issue ? Now ape miniha principle is gradually eroding, with Mervin the laughing stock is getting marginalized slowly.
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aratai / December 23, 2013
.
What a shame.
:-)
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Nimal F / December 26, 2013
Not for shamless ones, but for the rest of the nation.
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shankar / December 23, 2013
With regard to the bedcover don’t blame this poor fellow.He must have taken it as a souvenir.I have gone to people’s houses where they would show me a stuffed animal and boast to me that they shot in in africa etc.Similarly our friend here will whenever visitors come show them his bed cover on which he sleeps now and boast to them that that was the one he slept on when he was in belarus.The visitors who may have only ever gone to India will go green with envy and ask where the hell is belarus and he can explain how it is next to russia and that he even dropped in on Putin there on the way to belarus etc shooting up their blood pressure and sleepless nights further.And everytime he sleeps on it he can fondly think of belarus and also one day peacefully die in it with a smile on his face.
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shankar / December 23, 2013
also don’t know how many things mahinda would have lifted as souvenirs which the belarus president would have told his people to keep quiet.After all the underlings are supposed to follow the example and footsteps of the boss no.
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Fathima Fukushima / December 23, 2013
Nothing compared to kalla Tamil thieves who try to steal part of the Sinhala-Muslim island!!
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MrRetort / December 23, 2013
Tamil lands are acquired or taken forcefully and sold to foreign investors to make millions by leading rouges and camera is peanuts in comparison. He is probably sacked for not living up to expectations of the bosses who does that on style.
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whywhy / December 23, 2013
FARTIMA, where’s this Sinhala-Muslim Island?Next to Bolivia?
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shankar / December 24, 2013
No,in the planet of the apes.year 5013.
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Maveeran / December 25, 2013
Its somewhere in Burma, where the buddhist monks are roasting Muslims on fire.
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Rama / December 24, 2013
[Edited out]
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ruwan / December 25, 2013
oh, you reincarnated…..WHY ?
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LB Hettihewa / December 23, 2013
The palace is full of thieves.
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Podieka / December 23, 2013
Alibaba and 40 thieves.
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Piranha / December 23, 2013
Sri Lanka’s Ali Baba has not 40 but 400 thieves.
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Kiri Yakka / December 23, 2013
Ali Baba had only 40 thieves ?
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shankar / December 24, 2013
srilanka has overtaken with aliya baba and 400 thieves.
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Sowden Edward Asange / December 23, 2013
there is a saying in tamil…translated, when u lay a leech on a mattress, it goes looking for the mud… these idiots may be UN- professional photographers and media people( the ilk who accepted FREE laptops from MR govt included), who got to where they are by pulling strings or bribing their way up…Those who dont learn what ethics will NEVER lie by it… sadly the case here too…
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watey ranil / December 23, 2013
Releived only to be re-instated v.soon.Bet this rogue (and others)have huge pirith nool on their wrists too.
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Rationalist / December 24, 2013
watey ranil:- “Bet this rogue (and others)have huge pirith nool on their wrists too.” Yes, and they repeat the 5 Precepts in Pali, every Morning before their Buddha Statue. ‘Adhinna Dana Veramani Sikkha padam samadiyami’! Do they know what it means?
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