In an ironic twist, the very organization that promotes transparency has been hit with the Right To Information (RTI) Act, with trade unions using the RTI to obtain information on alleged corruption activities at the Transparency International Sri Lanka Chapter (TISL).
TISL Executive Director Asoka Obeyesekere
Sources said that the Coalition Against Corruption (CAC) has exercised the RTI powers to submit six RTI applications to TISL. The applications were handed over on March 1, by the ACA representatives to TISL’s Information Officer, Nimal Keerthi Jayathileke, who had accepted the applications on behalf of the TI Sri Lanka Chapter.
The applications sought information on several cases at TISL including a case against TISL Executive Director Ashoka Obeysekere, the subsequent report by J C Weliamuna and Lakshan Dias on the incident following an internal inquiry where Obeysekere is alleged to have had penalised staff, a Rs. 1.1 fraud transaction, and to ascertain if TISL provided a job to a foreign female (the wife of an associate of Obeysekere) who did not possess the working visa to work in Sri Lanka and if she was paid ETF and EPF.
Incidentally, CAC has worked with TISL in the past and has even contributed towards the drafting of the policy on safeguarding of whistleblowers.
jim softy / March 5, 2017
Why CT can not get such information about CPA and Jehan Perera ?
/
Mallaiyuran / March 5, 2017
TISL is not just damaging its name, it is dragging the international body’s reputation too. Unless TISL come out the light rest of its history will black. TISL has to release the information without dodging or delaying. Then it has to go ahead and use RTI to bring out the Government’s secrets deals.
/
Jeremy / March 5, 2017
There is great money to be made by becoming self-declared intellectuals and forming NGOs in Sri Lanka. India wised up to these scam artists. CPA, NPC all live on the US dime and European largesse. As long as they barked as per their funding agents orders, they were considered “intelligentsia” of Sri Lanka. I doubt if Sara or Jehan can get 10,000 votes on their own but they act and talk and strut around like big experts on everything from Colombo. Their organizations have never built a single tube well for Tamils or a school room or a hospital. But they get fat funds from the USA and some EU busybodies. They cock a hoop and cross their legs in arrogance in the US Embassy and those liberal buffoons who believed Chalabi also fall for them. They were never asked to explain expenses, travel allowances, budgets, cars and housing costs etc. Now oh faaarrrk they have to show their expenditures. Lovely place to be
/
Lone Wolf / March 5, 2017
Jeremy,
“I doubt if Sara or Jehan can get 10,000 votes on their own but they act and talk and strut around like big experts on everything from Colombo.”
Are they politicians? What is the level of the people who receive our votes?
“Their organizations have never built a single tube well for Tamils or a school room or a hospital.”
There are other organizations for that.
/
raza / March 5, 2017
Definitely ALL NGO’s are there to make the main organisers to make easy money for high living.
/