Justice and Buddha Sasana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has found himself at the centre of a new controversy over a potential conflict of interest case involving the Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL), commonly known as Lake House.
Wijeyadasa
The Colombo District Court, in 2011, ordered the state owned media institution to pay a sum of Rs. 500 million to Rajapakshe, who was then a Parliamentarian of the UNP.
The court gave the ex-parte order following a defamation case filed by him against the Sinhala weekend newspaper, Silumina published by Lake House.
Within 14 days after ruling, the Lake House filed objections against the ruling and the case is still being heard before the Supreme Court.
After the new government’s ascension to power, Rajapakshe became the Minister of Justice and Buddha Sasana.
Interestingly, the Department of the Public Trustee, the largest stakeholder of the state-run newspaper company, also comes under the Ministry of Justice and Buddha Sasana, headed by Rajapakshe. The Public Trustee Department holds 80% of the Associated Newspaper Company of Ceylon’s shares. Therefore, three of the directors of the state run newspaper company are appointed by the Public Trustee. As a result, Rajapakshe is now demanding Rs. 500 million from a company owned by an institution coming under his own ministry.
“This is not illegal. But, it is a potential case of conflict of interest. Rajapakshe is demanding Rs. 500 million from a company whose majority shareholder is an institution under him. As a President’s Counsel and as a senior Cabinet Minister, Rajapakshe should have acted with integrity,” a senior lawyer, who wished to remain anonymous told Colombo Telegraph.
Daham / February 11, 2017
Has he got “integrity”?
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Roshan / February 11, 2017
I saw him starting an investigation against global life sola panel pyramid company,. and went silent,. check the news link he was talking to IGP
funny minister of justice .. lol
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Analyst / February 11, 2017
How dare this Retarded Minister comparing SAITIM to politically incorrect word ” Mongol.”
There are certain words politically incorrect which should not be used by anyone let alone by a “Minister”
He should be ashamed!!
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Analyst / February 12, 2017
Error
Please read as SAITM above.
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Leonard / February 12, 2017
More than enough to be a Sri Lankan politician.
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Analyst / February 12, 2017
Leonard
You mean to be retarded is one of the qualifications to be a Srilankan politician?? Spot on.
What about the other qualifications ? These are on my list!
Big mouths , cut throats, thieving from the state depriving men , women and children from progressing in their lives, Always me,me , me first before the people voted for them.
No shame or guilt…
These are few !!
Anymore to add??
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Leonard / February 13, 2017
Thanks finally you coming round to my way of thinking Antony.
I Object comparison to mentally challenge because its a case of predisposition and they are more intelligent caring trustworthy, unlike lowest of low in the humane chain so called Sri Lankan Politician’s.
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Nic / February 13, 2017
Daham: That word is alien to him, despite of his so called learning. Interestingly a great number of our politicians including the so called elite have never heard this word and it is not in their up bringing or character.
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Mj / February 13, 2017
This man wear withe shoes with black trousers..don’t know to match his self..
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jim softy / February 11, 2017
what ever the religious affiliation, Every politician in Sri lanka is for him/her-self
but, this specific targetting of one should be of affiliation with the buddhism and christians don’t like him. May be because, Kurunegala has so many christians.
Otherwise, no one is writing about that Minister who had viagra overdose and had to be taken to the hospital to take down his over exited organ.
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aj / February 12, 2017
FiRST YOU SAID jAFFNA HAS TOO MANY CHRISTIANS. NOW YOU SAY kURUNAGALLE. This simply exeemplify your idiocy. you just think this country is budhist country because budha to took a big dump in this island.
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Leonard / February 13, 2017
Sorry Jim. S Viagra John Amarthunga is still suffering according to new information from grapevine with tremendously Hard problem albeit with a very small member attached to him by refusing to go down.
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justice / February 11, 2017
This Minister of (In)justice does not want lawyers to be present when arrested persons are interrogated for the first time.
He also admires filth speaking Theros.
He would not recognise “Conflict of Interest” if it slammed him on his face.
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jim softy / February 12, 2017
This Minister of (In)justice does not want lawyers to be present when arrested persons are interrogated for the first time.
It is true. Frist time questioning, lawyers should not be there. that teaches the criminals to cheat.
Whose rights are first anf moremost ?
Is it the criminals rights or the public security and thedir rights ?
what is the incentive for being good citizens ?
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AJ / February 12, 2017
You claim that you are patriotic and you do not even know the contitution. criminals have the right to representation. first know what you preach. you are just another whiskey drinking on Poya tranny. nothing more or nothing less
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Amarasiri / February 11, 2017
Justice and Buddha Sasana Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe
RE:Wijeyadasa Embroiled In Conflict Of Interest Issue: Demands Rs. 500m From Company Under Public Trustee
//“This is not illegal. But, it is a potential case of conflict of interest. Rajapakshe is demanding Rs. 500 million from a company whose majority shareholder is an institution under him. As a President’s Counsel and as a senior Cabinet Minister, Rajapakshe should have acted with integrity,” a senior lawyer, who wished to remain anonymous told Colombo Telegraph.”//
So, you get billions from the Mahinda Rajapaksa and Cronies to get off the hook, as DEAL-DASA by acting as the go between Sirisena and the Rakapaksa cronies.
Isn’t that enough money?
Now you want to collect more money, and now demanding Rs. 500 million from a company owned by an institution coming under his own ministry.
Remember, bulls make money, bears make money, and pigs get slaughtered.
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Dinuk / February 11, 2017
Wijedasa Rajapakasa the Avant Guard military business man is unfit to hold any public office, never mind the post of Minister of Justice and Public trustee.
Shows the depths to which Sri Lanka has sunk under Ranil-SIra’s Jarapalanaya Govt. with the abyss of corruption, stalled investigations that is the reason for the DEBT TRAP that Sri Lanka is in today.
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Muhandiram / February 11, 2017
When the amount is a massive Rs.500 millions, who cares about “Integrity”? The question is, can the Lake House afford to pay such a huge amount and, even if it manages to do so, how will at affect its Finances and smooth functioning?
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Non PhD / February 11, 2017
Daham,
Wijeydasa is born Theravada Buddhist and in my view a practising one like Gnanasara.
So how can you ask ” Has he go integrity ? “. Isn’t it a harem ?
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CITIZEN / February 11, 2017
When it comes to personal interest, honesty, fairness, impartiality etc. fly in the air for our Honourable Politicians. Hang the conflict of interest! He would summon the Directors and instruct them to yield!!
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Lanki / February 11, 2017
This guy is a Rajapakse worshiper and is in UNP just to make trouble. He should be removed from his present position.
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minimora / February 12, 2017
[Edited out] We are sorry, the comment language is English
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Gune / February 12, 2017
My family and I wasted 3 votes on this man. He has no credibility. Looks like all Rajapakse’s are made from the same mould.
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Gune / February 12, 2017
My family and I wasted 3 votes on this man. He has no credibility. Looks like all Rajapakse’s are made from the same mould.
He has clearly lost his way after following the saffron robe thugs.
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Ananda Markalanda / February 13, 2017
Today, the news media’s place in society has changed. In the 1970’s, the portion of SriLankans were biased towards English as the cultured language among the elite. Even now most of our expensive weddings with all pomp and glory in cultural acts don’t contain a Sinhala word in its invitation. Our strange decline in language base culture was accompanied by a fragmentation of the news industry. The national news channels in Sinhala shows the Western garb dresses anchors. Once, the media landscape largely consisted of a few national television news networks, local television news and newspapers and had many competent staff. The vast majority these journalists were committed to a style of “objective” journalism that rose to prominence in the early twentieth century. Media choices now have greatly proliferated in the past 30 years. New options include political talk radio, cable news channels, internet news and opinion sites, as well as many entertainment-oriented media options. These choices offer a great variety of news styles, including more partisan and tabloid-oriented approaches. I believe a new kind of dialogue is needed on this issue, as trust becomes increasingly crucial to business and society in the twenty-first century. The current global economic crisis, in which a lack of trust has weakened the world political and financial system, demonstrates the importance of this dialogue. JVP is filling this gap of trust to a certain extent..
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