{"id":185748,"date":"2017-12-22T19:59:28","date_gmt":"2017-12-22T14:29:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=185748"},"modified":"2017-12-27T14:52:33","modified_gmt":"2017-12-27T09:22:33","slug":"president-sirisenas-195-million-dollar-russian-roulette-with-maharaja","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/president-sirisenas-195-million-dollar-russian-roulette-with-maharaja\/","title":{"rendered":"President Sirisena’s 195 Million Dollar Russian Roulette With Maharaja"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Muhammed Fazl<\/a> –<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Muhammed Fazl<\/p><\/div>\n

\u201cThe lobby is the army of the plutocracy.\u201d \u2015 <\/em>William Graham Sumner<\/span><\/p>\n

The last time when warnings of icebergs ahead went unheeded, the iconic \u2018Titanic\u2019 ran aground with 2\/3<\/span>\u00a0of its passengers in chilly waters off the Atlantic Ocean. And more than a century later, the \u2018Captain of the Sri Lankan Ship\u2019 seems to be wanting to navigate in similar conditions in the Indian Ocean\u2026, and that which could have far more serious consequences with all of its \u2018passengers sinking a lot deeper\u2019.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ever since the war with LTTE ended 8 years ago, we as a nation have never been threatened by external forces or by separatist elements within. During that same period, the only threat the ordinary masses ever faced, originated from none other than the private militia aligned to the Rajapaksas themselves. In spite of all that, under the false pretext of protecting the shores of our island and acting as a \u2018middleman\u2019 in the procurement of a warship for double the price of its actual value, The Capitol Maharaja Organization Limited (TCMOL)<\/b> seems to be on an unholy mission in forcing President Sirisena into signing a 195 million Dollar agreement <\/b>with Russia\u2019s war machinery, JSC Rosoboronexport!<\/span><\/p>\n

Having written about the illegal occupation of a prime land in Colombo<\/span><\/a> by this same TCMOL in 2015, I was indeed surprised seeing a vast improvement in their modus operandi<\/i> in the last 2 plus years. Only this time, they seem to have adopted a \u2018one shot, one kill\u2019 technique. But then, having the need to be compensated for airtime allocated through TCMOL-owned Sirasa TV to promote the agenda of President Sirisena while attacking that of Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe, I really did not find fault as such with the \u2018movers and shakers team\u2019 led by the elusive Mr. Raja Mahendran, the owner of TCMOL and its CEO\/Director, Mr. Chevaan Devavarathan Daniel for their attempts in making an \u2018extra and quick buck\u2019<\/i>.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>

Chevaan Daniel and Sirisena<\/p><\/div>\n

That was all well and fine…, I mean at least until such time I was made to understand that this \u2018extra and quick buck\u2019<\/i> was actually 80 million in US Dollar terms!<\/b> In addition, when it became apparent that this money has to be paid for by my meagre income and with future earnings of my 5 year-old son and that of 22 plus million other lesser mortals, what was at stake did not seem to be of any small measure either. And even by my generous allowance standards, the \u2018stench\u2019 emanating from this corrupt deal was such, I even envisaged the Presidency being impeached over a direct involvement. And that was something this country could ill-afford at this point of time.<\/p>\n

They say \u2018politicians and businessmen make strange bedfellows\u2019. Having seen \u2018influential figures\u2019 such as construction powerhouse Mr. Sumal Perera of Access International exploiting his connections to the Rajapaksa regime at that time and straying from his usual line of business to import Heifers (cows) from Australia in a multi-million Dollar government deal<\/span><\/a>, and hardware industry related manufacturer Mr. Aelian Gunawardene of JAT Holdings using his clout with the current Minister of Agriculture, and also straying from his usual line of business to import and supply fertilizers worth hundreds of millions to the State<\/span><\/a>, I was least surprised when it transpired that TCMOL too venturing out in \u2018unfamiliar territory\u2019 by being the sole and invincible force behind the Russian ship deal.<\/span><\/p>\n

During one of those conversations with my good friend, Mr. Chevaan Daniel, the Group Director and the live wire of the same TCMOL, though he initially denied of any involvement, it is only fair that I share the following official position maintained by him and just as it appeared on the Whatsapp message that he sent me;<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAbsolutely NO truth to this. Reporting without even a shred of evidence is easy. And is usually the reaction to fact-based reporting on massive corruption, such as the bond scam and the Central Highway scam. Amazing how a series of web reports including a mud-slinging and smear campaign appears on a few websites almost as soon as we begin to highlight the Central Highway scam. This sort of knife flaying is expected when you take a firm position against corruption and we are aware of those behind it.\u00a0 <\/span>If one would like to fully understand the veracity of these reports and those behind it, one should ask the Interpol. Regardless of these attacks, and perhaps even more that will continue in the future, rest assured, we will continue to relentlessly expose corruption come what may.”<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Interestingly, instead of helping me to delve deeper on the same matter, being an anti-graft activist and columnist, what raised my suspicions was his attempt to deflect my attention towards the \u2018Treasury Bond Scam\u2019 investigation and the Central Highway construction project. And when the TCMOL-owned Sirasa TV \u2018goes to town\u2019 on a daily basis admonishing any and all multi-billion Rupee infrastructure projects associated with Ministries overlooked by UNP MPs, what got me even more thinking was their absolute silence on the 30 billion-Rupee Russian procurement. Furthermore, when the right-thinking, the Civil Society and most of the ex-Navy Chiefs have all voiced their opposition to it, do they not give their game away with their \u2018pin drop silence\u2019 on the same story by the usual set of\u00a0 <\/span>loud-mouthed presenters of the same \u2018holier-than-thou\u2019 Sirasa TV?<\/p>\n

And now that Russians are in town to seal the deal, in the event President Sirisena stands his ground in going ahead with it, I am hoping the public awareness created by this article would help me make my case more effectively and at the same time, save me time and money from being spent on invoking the Right To Information Act (RTI) or by challenging the legality of the agreement by way of a Writ Petition at the Court of Appeal.<\/span><\/p>\n

1 – Offshore Patrol Ship (OPS) \u2013 Gepard 5.1 \/ Cheetah 5.1<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n