A fresh controversy has arisen over the Right to Information appeal filed by the Pilots Guild before the Right to Information Commission due to SriLankan Airlines suddenly arguing that it is not subjected to the RTI Act at all.
Ajith Dias – Chairman SriLankan Airlines
Reliable sources at the Guild informed Colombo Telegraph that SriLankan Airlines had retained lawyers who had appeared before the Commission to say that it is not a company incorporated under the 2007 Companies Act but a company which had been incorporated earlier under old company laws and only ‘re-registered’ under the 2007 Act. As such, it had said that it is not covered by the RTI Act which only applies to companies incorporated under the 2007 Companies Act.
The Guild has strongly objected to that argument. It is reported that the RTI Commission too had been taken aback when this point had been raised with the Commission observing that it was concerning for SriLankan Airlines to take up this position after complying with the Act and appointing an Information Officer and a Designated Officer. According to information received by Colombo Telegraph, the Commission had indicated that it was not prepared to accept this argument and reserved Order to be delivered later this month.
The Pilots Guild had filed an appeal at the Commission after their RTI request had been rejected by SriLankan Airlines. Chairman of Sri Lankan, Ajith Dias went public saying that he will not give the information requested. The RTI request related to the below;
1. Salaries and other allowances and/or benefits of: a. The CEO of Sri Lankan Airlines Limited b. Head of Human Resources (HHR) of Sri Lankan Airlines Limited c. Chief Commercial Officer of SriLankan Airlines Limited
2. All information related and/or connected to Pakistan International Airlines’ (PIA) correspondence with SriLankan Airlines Limited
3. All information related and/or connected to PIA initial entry into an agreement with Sri Lankan Airlines Limited and all information relating to the Agreement with SriLankan Airlines Limited including the said agreement
4. All financial information (including but not limited to profits and/or losses and damages) connected to the Agreement and/or arrangement between PIA and SriLankan Airlines Limited
5. All information related to and/or connected to the termination of the Agreement and/or arrangement between PIA and SriLankan Airlines Limited 6. All information related to and/or connected to the cancellation of the order of Airbus A350 Aircraft (including but not limited to all Agreements and/or correspondence related to ordering of Airbus A350 Aircraft and the cancellation thereof) 7. All information related to and/or connected to the cost of personal flying training for the A320 jet conversion borne by SriLankan Airlines Limited and/or any party for the CEO Mr. Suren Ratwatte.
The Guild resorted to the RTI Act in the background of major public controversy over huge payments and a variety of perks being awarded to top management of SriLankan despite running the airlines to the ground in the past three years. This was a continuation of the same wasteful practices under the Rajapaksa Government.
President Maithripla Sirisena has now appointed a Commission of Inquiry headed by retired Supreme Court judge Anil Gunaratne to inquire into malpractices at both SriLankan and the now non-existent MhinAir.
Lankan 7 / March 3, 2018
Get back all money from MR family and invest them on Sri Lanka airline. They destroyed it ..
You now build it .
This is the case since independence.
One party builds and another destroys it
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Champa / March 3, 2018
Prove your allegation about MR. He didn’t steal and he is not responsible for the actions of his family members. He has learnt his lesson and I am sure, if an opportunity is granted he will not repeat the same mistakes though I have doubts about him having another chance to prove it, unless of course ….. ok …. too early to say that.
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oldcodger / March 4, 2018
Champa,
You want proof? There was a discussion in parliament around 2006 or 2007 about shares ofAsian Cotton Mills traded by Namal Rajapaksa. At the time he was just out of school and could not possibly buy such a large amount of shares. The Rajapaksas still have investments in the company.
http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=43669
This is just a small example. Shareholdings on the CSE are public documents and cannot be concealed.
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Champa / March 4, 2018
oldcodger
I don’t care about Mahinda’s roti boys. MR’s sons and siblings are not of his caliber. I have no regard for them. My challenge was to prove the allegation against MR.
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old codger / March 5, 2018
Champa,
“I don’t care about Mahinda’s roti boys.”
Two schoolboys cannot buy zillions in shares. IT WAS DONE WITH MR’s MONEY!!!!! Even you should be able to get it now.
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justice / March 4, 2018
MR allowed all his minions and family members to rob and he benefitted. Thus he was clever.
The “Helping Hambantota” funds went into his private account and former CJ regretted not finding him guilty.
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Sri Wickrema / March 5, 2018
Who took over Sri Lankan Airlines from Emirates when it was run with a huge profit ? Who appointed his brother-in-law to run it ? Now you want MR back to ruin the country ?
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Big Boy Joe. / March 6, 2018
Sri Lankan has been running at losses from the time Premadasa was the prime minister (the best PM then) when seats were transformed to fly flowers to Japan for his daughters floral outlet. Him winning is not a question nor a doubt… he is surely winning is what matters. It was proved at the last Local Government polls. Why isn’t anyone talking of the day light bond scam robbery if not could have floated back the airlines. MR is a honest man what the others did was all washed on his shoulders…
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Kamalawathie Sameer / March 3, 2018
Lankan 7 – His mongol son, a synthetic “lowyer” destroyed most of the “flying angels” during Medamulana Meeharaka’s rule !
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oldcodger / March 4, 2018
WE don’t need an airline, and that’s final. Why should we, the public, subsidize a vanity project for politicians when most of us don’t fly anywhere? Why pay exorbitant salaries to cabin crews, management and pilots?
Simply shut it down, build a solid bridge to India, and organize a luxury bus service. We can fly to anywhere we want from even Madurai.Keep the airport for the tourists to fly here.
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hancho pancha / March 3, 2018
Srilankan Laws are written on sand. No big deal mates. All depend on whose who.
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Jim softy / March 3, 2018
Before the elelction it was told, that Sri lankan employees are holdiong to the documents which may go missing until the PResidential commission is appointed. But, the things are different. that i why PResident is suspected in every scndle. foer example, One Prominenent Yahapalana minister from North Central province who leased Sabitha’s building is said to holding to RS 3. billion in his pocket. the answerr is why democracy doe snot work for us. He says, He does not say that Ranil is not involved in it.
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DJ / March 4, 2018
Kohedha yanney male pol
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Trevor Srinivasan / March 3, 2018
Where.is that moron Rajeewa Jayawewa who will put his 2 cents analysis when it comes to srilankan airlines
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Rajash / March 3, 2018
he is chasing air hostess creeping under the barbed wire
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Champa / March 3, 2018
Sri Lankan Airlines, again?
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C’mon CT Team, what about OMP? I thought you would publish a news item about the bias appointment of Commissioners. I need to voice my opinion about the prejudice in those appointments.
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C’mon guys, there are many people like me who have no other place to write. CT is getting popular, isn’t it? I see a large number of new people posting comments which is really good. Keep up the good work. Thank you for giving me this opportunity to voice my, sometimes arrogant opinion without shutting me down as my voice is not represented in the Parliament (though WW does to a certain extent.)
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Ceylon Telegraph is “Sri Lanka’s Shadow Parliament” where a variety of comments carrying opinions of every community, every political party, every individual is published without any bias. This is world’s one and only “Virtual Parliament”. Great work, CT.
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Champa / March 3, 2018
Oooooooop, again for not reading before posting. My apologies CT. – Colombo Telegraph, not Ceylon Telegraph.
COLOMBO TELEGRAPH is “Sri Lanka’s Shadow Parliament.” Great work CT. You should receive an Award one day (presumably when Sri Lanka’s new leader is elected in 2019/2020. :D. I also don’t know, who, but I a have feeling that the opinions expressed in CT will play a big role in that.) I wish more people to post comments in CT’s Sinhalese forum, too.
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justice / March 3, 2018
It is inexplicable as to why remuneration of employees of any state corporation or enterprise should be kept secret.
Do they not pay income tax too.
The airline is a loosing enterprise only serving to prop up false prestige of the regime.
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CEYLONEE / March 3, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
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K.Pillai / March 3, 2018
There were newspaper reports that SriLankan Airlines CEO has resigned and that the Board of Directors have resigned too. Will someone confirm or deny this news please?
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Jim softy / March 3, 2018
Sri lankan air lines was was supposed to be corrected right after the elelction. Now it is forgotten just the way Bank robbery is forgotten. There is another problem some where else. SLBA has two JIMBAs. One is from Belikumbura. The other, who is the political authority appointed by Ranil is Harshana buddhi PAthirana. Professor Mohottala. HE hs to certify everything even to play the NAmo NAmo MAtha. Sinhala Serice is earning Rs 1000 per minite from thiose who listen to a monks explainning dhaama. . YEt Mahagedara is trying to shift every thing to near by UDAHA GEDARA. Anyway, Looks like sinhala service is bankrupt. SLBC is working in support of HINDIANBC too. They say they are paying money to Sri lanka. MArketing people say that. But, SLBC is not getting that money. Anyway, eventhough books looks good SLBC has a Cash flow problem. HindianBC , strange enough, we also have a similar problem. But, they do not charge Rs 1000 per minite for similar programs. On the otherhand, they charge Rs 10,000 per min for some other programs.
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Jim softy / March 3, 2018
During the recent Ministry swap, Every ministry had asked for that can provide employment to their supporters. SL Air lines management also says we can not make this profitable becuse there are over supply of PRathibha poorana employees. Remember, just before the election, charitha Rathwaththa said that the appointment of Ajith Dias chairman was wrong decision taking. The other business guy from that Store, Jayawardane, he says he is a Captain too, but he does not have a License to take a plain off the ground. 7000 odd employees are to many. Ari line stays the same place and see Dubai Very small islnd has a successful airline, they leased Sri lankan ir lienes from which they had only 40% and made it profitable. Singapore Air lines, is a city state has a larger air line than ours. chrarith aRathwaththa brother gets three times the renumeration that a Pilot gets. I heard he is the one doe snot allow the air line to be profittable. He says he did not come here to angili levakanna, not a millionaire but a billiomaire.
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Jim softy / March 3, 2018
Jimba Sri lankan air lines say his Whole Varga Paramparawa is working for the iur lines. Similary, thilanga Sumathipala is saying his warga paramparawa say Amathithuma asked us to work for the Cricket board. they are not shy to say it. That is the situation in every ministry and every govt institution. Som think about how profittable those can be. and ahow one bank robbery can bankrupt the country. I heard, three banks are bankrupt and they simply do not have money. HEad of the game ays, I know what is going on I will correct it. IT looks his has been given the termination note. With respect to SLBC. one Nimal tilakasiri says, Yatath pirisein (both say that), there is no one to do edirivadu comes here but the other do not allow me to work.
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Jim softy / March 3, 2018
Thank you CT. I was waiting for that to see whether your crappy Publishing policy disturb me. . SLBC employees say, that is not the truth. both of them are involved in plundering the SLBC. Jimba’s explanation is even during the King Parakumba’s time we ran communication channels.
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Jim softy / March 3, 2018
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
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Lankan 09 / March 4, 2018
Poor Sri Lanka..
It’s leader are useless people..
All of them.are.corrupt except JVP..
With good human and natural resources we do not know how to build up this nation in the time of rapid development of many economies in Arian nations. .
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DW / March 4, 2018
SriLankan has made more losses in the last three years compared to the same period prior to to 2015.
Ajith Dias and the other coherent robber directors as appointed by Ravi K during the 100 day reformation period have continued till now, and incurred colossal losses to SriLankan airlines, which as a PLC, Sri Lankan would be difficult to get out of, given the fierce competition in the international travel industry.
As is customary with the present government, and specifically under the Ministry of National Policies and Economic Affairs, Rail W has been running an agenda of his own imagination, which as we all know by now, is alien to what the majority of Sri Lankans perceive.
Thus arises the biggest question? is the UNP as a party ready to come to reality with the ground dynamics, or Are they to continue living in a world of fantasy?
The actions thus far indicates that the UNP is still “comfortable”living in the world of fantasy , except for a few brave “rebels”as they they may be labeled as.
Well alas, the end is near , any nobody seems to notice that the end is near.
“de niulo nihilum, in nihilum nil posse reverti”
(from nothing is made, and nothing that exists can be reduced to nothing)
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Jo / March 5, 2018
Reading the comments you realise that everyone here has an agenda.
Isn’t the topic about if the Airline comes under RTI or not.?
Any article writer on the airline and what ever the topic, the comments are on the same lines of fulfilling ones agenda.
nuts man all nuts. What a small hole you must live in.
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UKCitizen / March 6, 2018
Here is the truth about SriLankan Airlines which nobody seems to want to discuss:-
They have leased new aircraft at above market rates on 12 year leases apparently without a termination clause in the contract. This means they have to pay – no way out.
The above means that is impossible for the Airline to ever make money.
There are still more aircraft on the way including an order for 4 A350 – the papers say that they need to pay the balance of U$800 million for these aircraft. Again it appears this contract has no termination clause. They have to pay – no way out.
It is not a case of replacing a few people and cutting wages and everything will turn around.
The hole that has been dug is so deep there is no way out. Several banks are insolvent as a result of lending money to the Airline.
The IMF will force the GOSL to close this Airline in the coming months.
This is the sad truth.
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