Sixteen close associates of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe as well as their families are to be targeted in a special program with the intention of crippling the UNP leader politically ahead of a possible run for the Presidency in 2020, Colombo Telegraph reliably learns. The move is part of an overall political strategy that would have Maithripala Sirisena winning a second term supported by Gotabaya Rajapaksa, for whom the Prime Minister’s post has been earmarked.
The plan is to move the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (Bribery Commission) to investigate Wickremesinghe’s aides, nine of whom are his closest loyalists. The Commission is empowered to investigate and even call for and examine bank details of persons about whom allegations are made. The expectation is that those named will be castigated in the public domain whether or not they are guilty of any wrongdoing.
Sirisena
The first of these exercises target Minister of Public Enterprise and Kandy City Development Lakshman Kiriella through his daughter Chami Kiriella. Chami is a graduate from the London School of Economics and is likely to contest the next Parliamentary Election from the Kandy District with a good chance of securing victory. The allegation against her began a year ago when it was reported that she had earned a whopping Rs 300 million in commissions.
Sirisena, whose political fortunes have taken a serious dip over the past three years has all but declared intention to go for a second term despite fervent pledges not to. Wickremesinghe is tipped to be the UNP candidate for the first time in almost twenty years, that party opting to back Sarath Fonseka in 2010 and Sirisena in 2015. However, given that Wickremesinghe and the UNP, like Sirisena and his party, the SLFP, are in decline while the probable candidate of the Joint Opposition, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s brother Gotabaya is possible candidacy is gathering momentum. While a Gotabaya candidacy will face a stiff challenge from Wickremesinghe, a situation where Sirisena runs for President with Gotabaya as his virtual running mate would fare better, according to the architects of this ‘master plan’. Hence these moves to vilify and weaken Wickremesinghe by moving the Bribery Commission against his loyalists and their immediate family members. While such investigations typically drag for years they easily feed vilification mills, a reality that the ‘Sirisena-Gota Combine’ is counting on, according to sources close to the President.
Joy Panabokke / June 11, 2018
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Chuti Doni / June 11, 2018
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Chun Paan / June 11, 2018
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Paul / June 11, 2018
Skulduggery worthy of the Borgia popes.
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Amarasiri / June 11, 2018
CT,
RE: Sira-Gota Combine’ To Move Bribery Commission Against 16 Ranil-Loyalists And Their Families In Insidious Political Move To Subvert Wickremesinghe’s Presidential Bid
What more can be expect from Sirisena, the Traitor to Mahinda Rajapksa, the 6.2 million who voted fir him and Ranil W?
Let RW run against MS and Gota, but at the last moment change Ranil to Sarath Fonseka.
One can see Sirisena’s sarong dropping and Gota’s pants dropping and peeing in his pants as well.
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Laxmi / June 11, 2018
Well the best laid plans of Mice and men!
Fact is Bondscam Ranil Wickramasingha has protected Mahinda Jarapassa family last 4 yeas — to weaken Sira, and now this has back fired on Ranil.
Bottom line is RW should be impeached for Grand Larceny at Central Bank and culture of political corruption worse than MR and crooks.
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Gos / June 11, 2018
‘The expectation is that those named will be castigated in the public domain whether or not they are guilty of any wrongdoing.’
Ha ha ha. The very same tactic used by the Yahapalana propaganda against Rajapaksas and their allies !!!
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Words / June 11, 2018
CT fairy tales
The easiest way for anyone to win is to have RW as opposing candidate!
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Govishankar Ebolanathan / June 11, 2018
I don’t know how true this article is. However, at this point, I feel Sirisena is so unpopular that there is no way he could win another presidential election again, even with Gota’s backing.
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Ajith / June 11, 2018
If Srisena & Gota get together, it may be possible Mahinda will join Ranil to inestigate Gota’s Mic deals, Avant grande deals and Lasantha murder.
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shankar / June 12, 2018
Govi
siri got 12.5% of the vote at the local government elections.mahindaa got 40%.Combine both and you get the 50%+ that is needed for siri to be the president and gota to be PM.
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Amarasiri / June 12, 2018
shankar,
“siri got 12.5%”
Since the mean IQ of the voters is 79, Sirisena may still get some votes, but only a fraction the 12.5% of the voters may still vote for him. Many of them do know that Sirisena is a Traitor, Liar, Patholaya, Sevalaya and Mala Peterthya.
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Douglas / June 11, 2018
In my village saying this is: “Kapanna Beri Atha Imbinawa” – (To kiss the hand that cannot be severed) Why do all these “Hood-Winking”. We all know that RW is the “1st Accused” in the “SLCBC Robbery” that was executed by “Professionals” not only “ONCE” but “TWICE”. Why President go in circles without going after that “1st Accused”? The reason is: He (President) too cannot exculpate himself from that “Failure” to be “Responsible” and “Accountable” in the PREVENTION of that “Great Robbery”.
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Vanguard / June 11, 2018
Clever. Maybe he took lessons from America like Ranil did admit publicly. What does America have to gain you would think one of their citizens is running….
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Estate Labourer / June 11, 2018
All bribery and corruption cases handled by the FCID and other arms of the law in which the investigations have been completed should be processed (i.e. referred to court) in chronological order. In other words, it must be done on a FIFA (first in, first out) basis. Attorney-General please note, you can’t sit on some files and forward the later files to court!
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kolla / June 11, 2018
Plot to defeat Ranil ! Come on, he is already history, a foot note on a con man who was found out.
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Justice & Fairplay / June 11, 2018
Had Wickremasinghe done the right thing and always the right thing; had he steadfastly stuck to the Rules of the Land and expedited the execution of justice, he would have won unprecedentedly at the hustings. There is never a question that among this motly lot, RW stands as the most fitting personage for that exalted position of President.
However his vacillation, his inability to make justice SEEN to be done, his lack of urgency and palpable disinterest on matters of public importance such as accountability, corruption, disappearances and murder, no longer endear him to the millions who TRUSTED him in 2015 and made him a valued Trustee of this land..
It is a fair bet that the larger majority of his earlier supporters would not vote for him ever again. The blotting of the copybook has been too much to bear, with disgraced former Ministers being ready to be re-inducted and some front line Ministers showing no public accountability by walking out of interviews without answering the questions asked.
That is not to say that the other mentioned names will fare any better. President Sirisena will fare much worse, as he has tarnished his once good name beyond redemption.
The most appropriate thing for both the President and the Premier at this juncture would be to make a gracious exit from all politics for all time.
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Sinhala_Man / June 11, 2018
Dear Justice & Fairplay,
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When our progeny look back on the History of this period, there still is a chance that they will survey this four-year period as one that was a necessary reaction to the Post-Eelam-War excesses.
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However, if these unhappy developments continue Ranil and Maithri will be seen as twin curses upon this blighted land.
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But those curses may not materialise because the way we are going there may be no Sri Lanka twenty years from now.
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Justice and Fairplay / June 12, 2018
Dear Sinhala Man,
With your final paragraph you have
articulated the frightening truth , which many already see but others refuse or quite simply cannot.
Never has this country sunk so low as now, where greed for position and power have become the single-most concerns of its main players, with nary a thought of the consequences.
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Paul / June 12, 2018
I think that RW’s other weakness is that he remains loyal to his friends even when they prove to be complete rogues.
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Jim softy / June 11, 2018
LAkshman Kiriellea is not a thief and Ranil is not a thief. Ranil should contest for president. eith er Ravi karunanayake or Kiriells should be the prime minister. there is a greater propability that the next govt will be UNP.
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Champa / June 11, 2018
Jims
Lakshman Kiriella is answerable to the “now shaky” Rajagiriya flyover which was declared open a few months ago. It is question of not using the right amount of material to build the bridge.
When he took over his first Ministry, he had appointed 62 or so advisers with salaries, vehicles, fuel quotas, etc. When this was repeatedly questioned in Parliament especially when Wimal was accused for vehicles allocated to some people (who were not appointed by him, some were state officials), Kiriella was compelled to terminate the contracts of all 62, but only after they enjoyed all perks for 2 years.
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Jim softy / June 12, 2018
CHAMPA: IWrote about Kiriella in another thread that was specific about his asset declaration. Remember he is the guy who tried steal some billions from a Expressway contract. Arjun ALoesius was the Insurance for that too.
They talk about London School of Economics. Remember Sajith Pemadasa also attended that and after that he Went to USA, boston may be for another and had to come back. Sri lankan universities used to roll out economic graduates in hundreds. I don’t know the situation now. those days, they were unemployed and became Clerks for govt departs. This London school is not even an aCCREDITED UNIVERSITY. it IS JUST LIKE HARDWARD’S ECONOMIC SCHOOL BUILT NEAR THE HARVARD university and selling to students. In the west there are medhodist, luthern, cathilic university colleges built near the state university and they roll out theology fraduates who are establishing their own churches. So, these economic schools at the same length, ARE JUST SEONDARY EDUCATION FOR DUMB WHO HAS MONEY BUT NOT THE BRAINS. Sri lanka’s probme is there are doctors, dentists and these economists. I think Ranil did not go even to that kind economic schools. Only places he went were international economic conferences conducted by MCC.
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Justice and Fairplay / June 12, 2018
Dear Sinhala Man,
With your final paragraph you have
articulated the frightening truth , which many already see but others refuse or quite simply cannot.
Never has this country sunk so low as now, where greed for position and power have become the single-most concerns of its main players, with nary a thought of the consequences.
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Isharath / June 11, 2018
Ha..ha… as if Ranil is going to content…as if Sira will ever win against anyone…
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Fahim Knight / June 11, 2018
Eye for an eye will make the whole world blind .
But eye for an eye by our politicians have left the entire people and Country bankrupt .
I been saying this from the time The government changed , The best alternative was to let go the past , together all parties to come come up with a political ,Social and economic solutions ,which can only be done if everyone would be sincere ,not power hungry ,not crocked in financial dealings.
Even now it is not too late ,let’s have the Swiss model with some homegrown variations.
Its time the Civil Society members stand up for the people ,enough of these humbug.
It is the duty now of our civil society if they have any conviction of true aspirations towards the Country and its people ,let them call upon the people to stand firmly to introduce a Constitution that will let the people appoint good men and women among our citizens with vested powers to regulate ,demand accountability and execute righteous rule of law and order, before the next election.
If no one can do this ,then remember ,the world is getting shaky and we may not survive (God forbid) a Financial Tsunami with our foreign debt.
If this is not done ,no matter who comes next will just borrow more ,dole out half of it to their comrades and invest the rest on the least important and we will pay dearly one day _( God forbid )
,
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Sandy / June 14, 2018
How many in this island can be bought?
And how many have already sold their souls for
Money..?
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Jim softy / June 11, 2018
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LANKA NITIZEN / June 11, 2018
The presidency will be abolished soon .
Anyone wanna bet ? It will happen within a month .
Be prepared for The unexpected.
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Burt / June 12, 2018
The media is fixated on Sillysena, Ranil and Gota and hyping the presidency issue, if they take a breather and look at other probable candidates like SF, Premadasa etc. the office will be abolished in no time.
Only concern will be whether they will live to see the change or visit Lasantha.
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LANKA NITIZEN / June 11, 2018
Jim Softy the sad sack ,
What a dry sarcy …
Try it it with suki akki
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Champa / June 11, 2018
CT says: “…..The move is part of an overall political strategy that would have Maithripala Sirisena winning a second term supported by Gotabaya Rajapaksa, for whom the Prime Minister’s post has been earmarked.”
I think CT, it is the other way. There is no way Maithree wins a second term, even with Gotabhaya’s support. But the other way is possible. I wrote to Wimal about this possibility months ago (minus Maithree as the PM) with an addition about forcing Mahinda out of politics. Maithree wants MR/JO to field Gotabhaya. Orphans-16 will also play a role as they are now at the mercy of Maithree. Gotabhaya’s economic policy is to attract traditional UNP business class. If Gotabhaya contests, Ranil will pose a challenge to him which will lead to a second counting. Anyways, it is too early to predict MR/JO’s choice.
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thilan / June 12, 2018
Unps business class hah hah ha
They hàd talled pettah businesss community as their business community.unp never had a business class .the media has made this statements on 1980s. among the economy of 20 billion USD before 2005 how can be a business class can be formed among that mixed economic system of jr or premadasa .the high capitalist business economy and business class (shangrila capitalist)all are created and archtected by modern. Slfp of Mahinda after 2005 among their super capitalism policy and 80 billion Economy .do not take serious about this small poor parties like unp who only has 23% vote base to compare with a top level capitalist party and the largest single party in stilankan history the modern. Slfp. If unp contested alone gota win with at least 2 million Vote majority. Second counting what joke with a parties like unp or JVP.
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Champa / June 12, 2018
The issue is not UNP, SLFP, TNA, Muslims Parties, JVP or Mahinda. There are a large number of voters in all sectors in the country who don’t want Gotabhaya as the next President. But if it was Mahinda, then the same people will vote in favour of Mahinda, although they are against Gotabhaya. Your logic doesn’t apply to that possibility.
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K.Pillai / June 11, 2018
If (stress IF) true, it will be a kick-boxing. Gloves off, razor attached toes, no referee. What happened to the ‘protecting each other’ unwritten rule?
More likely it is a planted story to get a feel.
Like the leak of offer of Russo-job to Dayan.
Austin Fernando being replaced.
Buddhist vegetarian Gota.
and so on.
By the way, who has access to ALL cheque transactions?
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VJ / June 11, 2018
Not very convincing. Gota has a number of criminal charges against him and if these are processed, he will not be able to hold any public office. RW must make a concerted effort to conclude these cases. The PM has the authority and if he does not exercise such powers to punish criminals, he would have failed the people of this country. Will he then after a few years, apologize to the people like how a former CJ did.
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Rohan / June 12, 2018
Even though he was very ungrateful, for Sirisena things are easy with Ranil and the UNP but with Rajapakse he would learn his bitter lessons even if he gives room for them to put a little toe hold. They are harbouring a huge scores to setttle for betraying them in the past, it’s clear once’s Sitisena said, he would be under six foot if they won the election.
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Janaka from Matara / June 12, 2018
This is infuriating.
But it is a wasted fury.
This story is not true.
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Rajash / June 12, 2018
Ranil, Sira, Gota, Mahinda and their political associates , siblings, family are all corrupt.
The question is who has the upper hand and who can threaten whom?
It seems that the Rajapakse faction has the upper hand. Gota’s military wing , BBS and Sangha are all behind them.
Ranil is a weak meow?
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Percy / June 12, 2018
Sirisena will be pushing daisies from 6 ft under after the next elections. He built himself up in typical gamarala fashion grabbing everything in sight,overseas tours for him and family,corrupt deals for the children, buying unnnecessary warships. If he was given half a chance he may have even opted for an outdated atom bomb, selling the country in the process but getting his commission! He is nothing but dishonesty personified.So my message for all those sycophants, bootlickers, Sinhala men with Tamil agendas,and other doubtful characters is ‘ watch out for your nemesis” nothing can stop the return of the Rajapakses. Yahapalana has cooked its own goose.
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K A Sumanasekera / June 12, 2018
Is this “16 the Magic Number?.
Anyway SLFP Poster Boy Dayasirai was grilled by Dr Ranil’s CID for 5 hours. Although Daya admitted taking 1 Million from W M Mendis & Co.
But the UNP Poster Boy, Sujiya who hasn’t admitted taking any money from Aloysious or Mendis & Co, although Galkissa Magistrate has said so to the tune of 3.3 Mil, , is looking for Charities which will accept any cash if he has got any..
Both are supposed be Legal Eagles with Elite Schooling and good Breeding, unlike Sira’s Mahanama who counted the Cash in the Car Park..
But Sujiya , to me looks like the sharper, of the Two,
Because Dr Ranil’s CID hasn’t called him.
No wonder Sujiya was boasting that he was raking in 25 Lakhs a month , before Colombo Elite Elected him. to Parliament..
BTW, Most Inhabitants now know the list of Dr Ranil’s close UNP Buddies who” Ate Jarawa” of Aloysious
And cracked the Bubbly when Dr Mahendran opened the Envelop which had Aloysious and Palisena’s Tender.
Wonder whether our Yahapalana Cheer Squad can name them here…
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Kumaran / June 12, 2018
“As ye sow, so shall ye reap”. To begin with, Kiriella and others should never have got their fingers dirty and if R.W did the right thing the moment the cat was out of the bag about Mahendran, then perhaps he has a chance. I am hoping for a totally unknown person, a non-political like Donald Trump.
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Burt / June 12, 2018
This is plain fear mongering by the Rajapaksa camp. Its a known fact that Gota the white van specialist is a US citizen and based on Sri Lankan constitution cannot hold office.
What all this does is make people investigating the crimes of the last govt think twice whether its worth their life if there is a chance that the old crooked govt could come back with or without Sillysena.
“Former defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who returned yesterday to Sri Lanka from the US, said he could not accept the Prime Ministerial portfolio because he was an American citizen.
He said this when asked by the journalists at the Airport whether he would accept the Post of Prime Minister if it was offered by the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP).
“I can’t. I am an American citizen. So I cannot accept that portfolio. Besides, who wants to become a Prime Minister in a scenario such as what exists today,” he said and added that he had still not decided to enter politics.”
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Mallaiyuran / June 12, 2018
The Grease Monster “Mahanama – Modi Vengeance” is on the junction and mutilating all passersby. Whatever CT tells is true or not, I would expect, Old Brother Prince story is yet to be written. He has two citizenships. For the past two months, there is talk that he could not repudiate the American one. American citizenship comes with Reward & obligation. Now it is a detriment to Old Brother Prince. Not just PM, he even if takes the toilet washing job in parliament by an election, America will come in and pickup Manuel Noriega II. Sinhala Buddhist Lankawe will not be able to fool on that.
There was always judicial immunity at leaders’ level, in Lankawe. It was as a secret arrangement, but not was an election promise. Old King went against UNP to UNHRC. Chandrika put Corporal Rajapaksa at least on eye washing trial. It was Ranil’s initiation to spread impunity to all level. It was he who offered impunity at election as a promise of “No leader, No Commander No Soldier Prosecution”. He went to the Temple Tree House in the 9th morning of Jan 2015 and promised to Old King that he will be saved at any cost to Island. He invented the nickname “Darusman Report”. Whatever the end Ranil may face, but in the end, it is Ranil who is going to be remembered as the “Father of Impunity in Lankawe”. The Ram(impunity) Ranil brought up now has butted on his chest and have caused heart attack. We need to wait for the prognosis.
The problems is, before one put time on these discussion, does it will make any serious difference in the ruling between New King-Brother Prince Team’s and Ranil’s team’s performance. I assure that there will be nothing. We No care whether Ram is ruling or Ravana ruling.
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Punchi Point / June 12, 2018
Who or what is Sira?
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