28 March, 2024

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Sri Lanka: Emergence Of Startling Evidence Of A Failed State

By Nagananda Kodituwakku

Nagananda Kodituwakku

In the Republic of Sri Lanka, the Supreme Law, the Constitution, says that every person is equal before law and entitled to equal protection of law [Article 12 (1)]

This means that the application of uniform approach for offenders who commit criminal offences where the characteristics of the offence is the same or identical. Application of this uniformity principle is of paramount important in any democracy to have people’s confidence in the criminal justice system.

The revenue protection laws in Sri Lanka, for instance the Customs ordinance, provide severe penalties and forfeitures (treble the value) for offenders concerned in revenue crimes. These laws have been enacted to deter or prevent the commission of revenue crimes and to protect the important government revenue that the Customs Department collects for the state, which is now stands at 60% of the government’s total tax revenue.

In addition, there are other important laws in place to deter the people who abuse public office causing losses to the government. For instance the relatively new criminal offence of CORRUPTION introduced through the Bribery Act, provides that any person abuse public office holds purely on trust causing a loss to the government or commits an act to benefit or favor for himself or other commits an offence of Corruption [Section 70].

Selling of MP tax-free car permit is obviously a measure introduced by the successive corrupt governments that abused the people’s sovereignty to facilitate the MPs to defraud the public funds. This is the hard fact acknowledged by the Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake himself in his maiden budget speech delivered in the Parliament on 20th Nov 2015, where he revealed that the government incur over 40 billions of revenue loss due to the abuse of these tax-free permits.

It is a proven fact that every dishonest MP who sells a tax-free permit for unjust enrichment (see the list attached) does have the knowledge that the buyers (who are not entitled to enjoy this tax-free permits issued only to MPs in the public interest to import a vehicle to discharge their office effectively) would abuse the permit to defraud the government revenue.

Now you are invited to examine the content of the letter originated by the CIABOC (in reply to the complaint made on the abuse of tax free car permits by the MPs) to judge for yourselves about the emergence of startling evidence of a failed state, where the Rule of Law has been completely undermined by the very state organ created for combatting of bribery and corruption, effectively riddling the public confidence in the criminal justice system.

In this background it is inevitable that people will continue to make serious complaints to the Human Rights Body in Geneva that they have no confidence and lost their trust in the main organs of the government, particularly those who hold office in the Executive and the Legislature as they openly violate their constitutional pledge made to the people to perform the offices they hold faithfully, according to the Constitution and the Law.

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Latest comments

  • 10
    0

    Thanks again Naga, for this relentless battle to expose this massive rip-off of our Legislators. I remember reading this in the Island Newspaper the other day. I notice that T.J .Marapona former AG and Minister has transferred to his brother Gamini Marapona PC.
    Is there a possibility of sending an On-Line Petition signed by as many people as possible to the Human Rights body in Geneva?

    • 9
      1

      We dont need decades long in Lanken politics. We need a candidate emanating amongst civil society to group to lead this nation. He should be fearless, law bound, honest charactor. I am in the view Mr. Nagananda Kodithuwakku or the like candidates can do the job much better than former Mafia king Rajapakshe and current, party lover Mr Sirisena. Latter is making every efforts to rebuild the party, leaving diverse alarming level problems aside. No priority is given to reinforce the law and order to the manner he had promised, but just to say, ye we didi it.
      Alone the high profile perpetrators attack Mr President today, not having done the due as pomised.
      May day gatherings proved him, that people are no to Rajapakshe but against the regime.
      That should be studied by the current duo, not let things stagnated anymore.
      We need leaders with balls to finally give a verdict to all high criminals one behind the others. We waited long, time is now up to do show bold actions.

    • 7
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      When one would consider the tasks fulfilled by these men on the list above, they are no worth even to be offered bullock carts … these are tax payers funds, for what purpose, the state maintain these men even by offering the kind of cruisers for their transport.

      Had the rulers been that pragmatic, they could have used the previous vehicles after being repaired… today the roads are well enough drivers to drive without any problems. That is the fact.
      Any country with lower annual income levels, first ever income bringing mean has been sending innocient women to slave in Middle east, but these men to abuse the state funds this way, is no means acceptable.
      There are countries, that use their veicle pools again and again, decades long. Today depending on maintenance, life time of vehicles are very good.
      What we need is proper vehicle repair sites to maintain them accordingly. These are state properties. No means we need to buy new vehicles abusing the funds that could well be used for the benefit of masses that would not even have 2 $ a day for their living.

      Authorities, please rethink.. we call us a buddhist nation but to abuse own folks and their resources to give sophisticated life styles to abusive politcians should be banned any further.

    • 8
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      Nagananda Kodituwakku

      RE: Sri Lanka: Emergence Of Startling Evidence Of A Failed State

      Thank you for exposing. Please do expose, expose and expose.

      Why? Sri Lanka has Failed Politicians who are crooks, liars , thieves and criminals., and the populace with an average IQ of 79 goes along or is dragged along.

      Agitate, agitate and agitate.

      • 0
        2

        Hi. rarionalsit ? How about your rationalism? Your dawnism? Your origin of mokey business? When you will form or transfered into another form of animal or creature…what is the difference between incarnation and Darwinsim…more or less same ?
        Where did you come from.?.
        Where do you go after you death?
        What is purpose of your life or what is mission of your life ?
        Do you think all people.when they die go into dust and never have a chance to meet again?
        Will you never see your children after your death?
        Will you never see your parents after your death?.
        Answer to this question with your nationalism?

        • 0
          0

          Singhalese pundit —————————————————————————————————————————————————-Why don’t you ask your Monk, Priest, Ulama, Mullah or Rabbai. Give those answers,. Then Amarasir i will respond. In the meantime here are some issues you need to ponder. with your 46 chromosomes, and the chromosome #2 that was formed by the fusion of two Primate chromosomes.———————————————————————————————————————————————–Neil de Grasse Tyson on the afterlife. Very moving.—————————————————
          Consciousness is contained in our biological computer, and because it is a biological objects it will at the end degrade and returned back to mother nature in simple form.———NEVER WASTE YOUR TIME WORRYING ABOUT DEATH BECAUSE THEIR IS ABSOLUTELY NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO STOP IT!——The Monks, Priests, Ulama, Rabbais and others cannot help much other than condolences for those who are still living.———————————————————————-
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ndj5KjKyr3E

        • 0
          0

          Singhalese pundit ——————————————————————————————

          //”Where did you come from.?. Where do you go after you death? What is purpose of your life or what is mission of your life ? Do you think all people.when they die go into dust and never have a chance to meet again?”//————————————————————————-Get your answers first from your Monks, Priests, Ulama and Rabbai. —————————————————————

          1. Great Ideas of Science & Philosophy – Neil deGrasse Tyson on death———————————————————————————————————–
          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ih7SJt_-Q1o

          2. Neil deGrasse Tyson – “Do you believe in god?”
          Science makes objective claims and must have empirical evidence to verify them.—————————————————————————————–

          Religion makes objective claims with no empirical evidence to verify them, claiming one must simply “have faith”.————————————————-

          https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3sApQ80QRiE

  • 5
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    Poor Senasighe,..He baosted that he cold make LKR 25 Lakhs per month . Probably doing Divorces of the Poodle Club Members. But he sold the Car Permit to Akbar for LKR 34 Million..No Wonder Dr Ranil gave him a Peon Job.

    Mr Clean with the Wig ,who have become a Yahapalana Joke, assaulted a TV reporter for asking him whether he was corrupt. That is how clean he was.. But the poor Reporter probably didn’t know he had sold the Beamer permit to NuwaraEliya Hotel for 40 Mil.

    Even Mr Pootin’s mate Kandy Kira has sold his for 30 odd Million.

    I don’t think they agree with Mr Naga that we are going down hill.

    • 4
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      Sumane,

      Any members of the “Joint Obsession” you know of, who have sold their Car Permits for a few dimes?

      Please name and shame them.

      Cheers!

      • 3
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        Sumanaya has just been abused by JOINT OBSESSION for toileting only.

      • 0
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        Benny , I leave it up to you mate….Don’t you lot always say they are crooks..!!!!!

  • 7
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    Well done Mr. Kodituwakku, Keep up good work!
    Ranil Wickramasinghe and Ravi K need to be impeached of the Bond Scam and the protection they provide Mahinda Jarapassa family of thieves. Ravi and Ranil have taken Mahinda Jarapassa’s corruption to another level after looting EPF funds of the labouring masses and the CB.

    Also, Why is JVP and AKD organizing protests against SITAM and destroying university education in the process,?
    Instead JVP should be protesting the Corruption in the Parliament of Morons in the miracle of modays?!

  • 1
    1

    While majority of local politicians are corrupt. the entire global financial system run from Washington DC – IMF, WB and the US has legalized financial corruption, and money politics in the world today.
    IMF and WB has a secret report on the Central Bank Bond Scam, BOC rot, etc. but never mentions high corruption while prating about good governance. Oh, no, IMF is busy drafting tax bills, so the poor to pay for the debts of corrupt politicians! This is good governance a la IMF!
    Forgotten are the Panama Papers names, Avand Guard Scam .and the need to investigate Perpetual Treasuries…Sri Lanka civil society must turn its back on Ranil and his economic hit men who dance to tunes of IMF and deal wisely with China. Thank god for China!
    IMF has legalized money laundering by the Global and local 1 percent and transfer of funds from the global south to secret accounts and shell companies in the US and Europe.

  • 5
    2

    Dear writer..
    Sri Lanka today is sandwiched between radical Buddhist extremism and political anarchy..
    One hand law has been taken up by BBS and yet politicians do not care ..
    Politicians are serving this radicalism and indirectly encourage them ? This so called equality is not real one but fake …only for Singhalese..not for minorities…they have not learned any lesson from the past …

    • 0
      0

      Idiot, Dr. Nas:

      Exactly, what ethnic group’s or what religious group’s grievance that you are complaining of ?

  • 2
    0

    Don’t like the new Format!

  • 4
    1

    Do you think these parasites have any shame? Give them another permit today and they will sell it tomorrow. These so called politicians are a bunch of unethical, self-serving scum bags who knows how to deceive the poor hard working people for their benefit. Nowadays it’s very hard to find a genuine hardworking honest politician in Sri lanka.

  • 2
    0

    Mr. Kodithuwakku, your list is not complete. I saw a news report that Ravi Karunanayake also imported a very expensive car. Two others are Maithripala Sirisena two cars, Ranil Two cars.
    What I cannot believe is even the Socialist Vasudeva Nanayakkara had imported a Car.
    The best solution is a third political party which does not consist of any of these politicians.. Build a party with politicians who involed minimum in all these corruption and build a party. Matihri is also in the same boat as he never change these corrupt laws.

    It is simply a legalized fraud, law makers making laws for them. They get lucrative pay packets in which every thing is reemebursed. They get hefty payments for transport. I don’t know whether they are Taxi drivers wos do not charge a cent from voters. On top of that, they get foreign trips, commiss and all tax free.

    In one pkace, father has imported one and the son has imported one.

    One other thing is people stop paying taxes to the govt.

  • 2
    0

    Upul & Naganada,
    How can you say LSSP MP like Vasudeva Nanayakara ( the two names refer to a God & an upright human ) are breaking the law or abusing the previleges. Car is their entitlement as an MP of a soverign state ( sovereignty as defined by smart patriot DJ .).
    DJ knows in and out of Geneva.
    Why not make him as joint leader in taking up this matter to UNHRin Geneva. DJ will work for free.

  • 4
    0

    In Srilanka almost all politicians including super powered President’s should be in jail if we apply equal rights principle.

  • 1
    0

    Even Jackal Obsession and JVP too brought down vehicals with permits, and all are defending it. Every thing is corruption for them but not this. All are preaching something but practing something else. All are real vultures preying on the poor people. All out policians are naked and shameless scoundrels. People should teach all of them a bitter lesson. Civil society should form a new party with good caliber people, forward them in the next election like in France. 39 year old, from a one year old party, became the youngest President of that country. It’s time to mobilze the masses.

  • 1
    0

    Jim Softy

    The list published only demonstrates the cars imported on MP tax-free permits already registered by private individuals, who are not entitled to enjoy this privilege.

    You are correct that both MS and MR have imported vehicles on MP tax-free permits but these vehicles have not been registered or transferred in the name of any third party yet.

    There are 2 more Mercedes cars valued valued over 600 millions imported by the Government for President Sirisena and fleet of more expensive cars for Ministers (in addition to the vehicle already imported on their tax-free permits issued to them).
    These vehicles do not falls within the criteria of abuse of tax-free permits issued in the name of MPs.

  • 1
    0

    Nagananda Kodituwakku,

    Thanks for all of your actions.

    Are all the persons listed here MPs or are some government servants included?

    Is not number 58 Reginald Cooray the Governor of Northern Province?

  • 1
    0

    Speaker says the cost of per day’s sitting of the parliament is Rs.4M with five star meals. Add to this their salaries, allowances, cost of free housing with free utilities and other perks with the cost of their foreign junkets. Oh my God, all a big fortune on the poor people. People treat them like Maharajas, princes and princes. It all grand party for them, and they have their hands and legs in the people’s till and they royaly loot it. What they intern do to the people? Over seventy years since the people got freedom, they are still beggery but the politicos are flying higher and higher to the moon. Look at what were they before they entered the parliament and what they are today! How they all got all these booties from a measel PM’s pay? All these got to change, civil society and people have to raise up else this grand party wouldn’t stop, there should be a full stop for this for good.

  • 1
    0

    Sri Lanka is a failed state not now but since the British left Sri Lanka.

    Politicians from all three communities enjoyed the fruits of Sri Lanka but failed to upgrade the lives of its citizens. At present majority of the politicians are not properly qualified to be in parliament and to represent the people. They are all qualified in corruption and how to persuade people to be corrupt. They are qualified how to make their position, the best and to be more rich. So long as this continues, Sri Lanka will be a failed state.

  • 1
    0

    Nagananda’s angst is understandable. One has to be optimistic and try for “Sri Lanka: Emergence Of Startling Evidence Of ESCAPE FROM BEING A Failed State”. On 08 January 2015 we put everything aside and clearly noted that Lanka’s bane is corruption, nepotism and culture of impunity. This by itself is the first sign of “escape from …. “. Nagananda has not yet been white-vanned which the next important sign of the “escape”. Unfortunately corruption, nepotism and culture of impunity has not been dented. Several reasons for this – one is politicians are out to make hay while the sun shines. The structure of law enforcement has got buggered. The Lankan armed services have evolved into government unto themselves. The infamous Lankan language/religion divide is staging political hard currency resurgence. Curing such ills are within our scope. On the 2016 Failed State Index Sri Lanka occupies 43 place out of 178 countries (Finland is 1). In 2008 we were 20. Quite an improvement but plenty plenty plenty of room left. We can. We need few more Naganandas. PS: An aside – the 15 May CT format was better.

    • 0
      0

      Correction: (Finland is 1) to (Finland is 178). Apology for the error.

  • 0
    0

    Hope, Naga will do a good job as this on the UNP crooks, who helped Dr Ranil’s buddy Diaspora Mahendran from Singapore to rob the EPF money from the Central Bank..That 9 Billion has made Mahendran’s & SIL’s Family Company Perpetual, a Financial Mammoth. according to the English Media in Colombo..,And they are busy investing that money in a diversified Portfolio to help the UNP as well as their shareholders. Sinhala Media says the UNP agents are now offering between 5 & 10 Million LKR to the SLFP PC members, if they join the UNP. …No wonder Galleon Ravi became the best treasurer in ASIA ..if not the world.

  • 0
    0

    Mr. Nagananda: “Emergence of a Failed State”. Not yet. With the 2016 February “Bond Scam” one family has already scoped Billions and has started making investments out of the “ill-gotten Loot” and continuing to do so while the Presidential Commission having “Teledrama” sessions with extended prime time media blitz. At least 92 “Representatives of the PEOPLE”have been allowed to make an average of 34 millions per person by sale of vehicle permits and imported vehicles. Among the listed are some of the “Diehard Leftists” and strangely (not quite so) a “Buddhist Robed Priest” is also included. In the background are the pseudo “Whistle Blowers” identified themselves as “Civil Society Activists” (God knows what membership they have in their camp) who proclaimed to say that they brought this Government of Ranil/Mithri into being, still having “Faith” to carry out the agenda promised at the election of 2015 August. All these “Peoples’ Representatives” know there are lot to do and walk away with a LOOT of the Public Funds. They are confident of playing the game for another two and half years. Yet, not satisfied they want to have some hope after 2020 too. Now, Mr Nagananda, it is not advisable to proceed with “Court Cases”. Time is ripe to start a fresh campaign to get all these “Political Vagabonds” at least those who sold those vehicle permits and made a “Clean Profit” (an average of Rs 34 million) defeated at the next General Election of 2020 and possibly recover the loot of the Public Funds. I saw how you made that “First Appeal” to the “Young and Educated” voters, which is considered “Action in the Right Direction”. Please do not give up that course of action, because this country needs “Leadership” of bravery, courage and NOT those of the “Pseudo” Civil Society.

  • 2
    0

    WT…..what happened to CT? Gov. buy over?

  • 1
    0

    Why there are no class action suits against the govt and these politicians in Supreme courts.

    It looks extremely unfiar when Legislators abiuse the power for their benefit.

  • 0
    0

    [Edited out]

  • 2
    0

    NK. Good write up. We have judges, so many lawyers, many well wishers, however no body seem to know how to establish justice. BBS and like idiots don’t see these injustices perpetrated towards people, other than display their phobia of minority stakes. Just wasting time. Most of the Judges are of the class of uneducated and biased. Only one or two have spines to judge as gentlemen. Others stoop so low and behave like rogues in silks to twist like worms to satisfy politicians agenda. Country would have been better off as a colony.

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