{"id":242178,"date":"2025-06-11T04:52:06","date_gmt":"2025-06-10T23:22:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/?p=242178"},"modified":"2025-06-23T13:54:23","modified_gmt":"2025-06-23T08:24:23","slug":"prosecute-state-church-officials-engaging-in-corruption-not-just-errant-ngos","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.colombotelegraph.com\/index.php\/prosecute-state-church-officials-engaging-in-corruption-not-just-errant-ngos\/","title":{"rendered":"Prosecute State & Church Officials Engaging In Corruption, Not Just Errant NGOs"},"content":{"rendered":"

By S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole<\/a> –<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"

Prof S. Ratnajeevan H. Hoole<\/p><\/div>\n

Shared Technology behind Cruelty: CMS and Israel Starving Children<\/strong><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Shared technology knits the corrupt and the cruel. As Israel bombs children going to collect food, I recall that my Secretary at Jaffna University went to collect milk in Mulliwaikal for her grandchild at the Army\u2019s invitation and had bombs rained around her by our national-hero army. Like Israel ejecting Palestinians, Tamils in Colombo were ordered removed until M.A. Sumanthiran, PC, put a stop to it in Court.<\/p>\n

Few Sinhalese want prosecutions of the Armed forces for their cruelty to Tamils and even corruption. But Anglicans? Answering \u201cDoes the Anglican church support war crimes trials against the Sri Lankan Army?<\/b>\u201d, Google\u2019s AI-generated reponse based on the published literature says,<\/p>\n

\u201c[T]here isn’t a single, definitive statement from the entire Anglican Church explicitly supporting war crimes trials against the Sri Lankan army.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anglicans, it seems, share much with Sinhalese nationalism<\/b>. Different statements support accountability but no explicit call for trials. To the question \u201cIs there a definitive statement from the Church of Ceylon calling for war crimes against Sri Lanka?\u201d there are only vague calls for reparations\/truth, but not for prosecution. The Church is scared of taking on the communalist state, and is effectively supportive of it.<\/p>\n

I dare Bishop Dushantha Rodrigo to say that holding war crime trials under outside judges is salutary and will establish if war crimes occurred or not.\u00a0 <\/span>I say so. Will the Bishop join me or will he support saving war criminals? Tamil Anglicans in church office support the communalist church for a position. As new bodies are reported down my Chemmany Road, will the Bishop still be silent on war crimes prosecutions?<\/p>\n

At St. James\u2019 Nallur, Bishop Rodrigo\u2019s appointee as Archdeacon Jaffna is The Ven. P. Selvan. He is also Vicar, a Bishop\u2019s favorite. He openly defies the church constitution. Parish accounts are not on time. Marriages are conducted without banns, a condition for the Vicar Performing the work of the Registrar of Marriages. Bodies are buried in graves purchased by others. Suicides and those who do not receive communion are buried in the cemetery. When parishioners complain, Selvan says the Bishop ok-ed it as if the Bishop can alter constitutional requirements. It is a lawless, misgoverned church.<\/p>\n

Selvan is now the President of the All-Religions Unity Organization. Limited in Tamil they spell Unity \u2013 instead of with the correct 9th vowel (Aiyannah) with the\u00a0 <\/span>letters a-y. These Aiykiyam Meetings are at St. James\u2019. As I write, the All-religious Unity Organization is meeting in the parish hall. Tiffin and more are seved at parish expense, with Siva Senai notices (dated 20 May 2025) proclaiming from church walls:<\/p>\n

\u201cCome in droves to honor and make divine offering (Anjali) for the memorial meeting for our Great Hero King Changili who \u201cterrified the Parangy armies, and murderous religious convertors and saved the Saiva religion<\/b>.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Siva Senail historian, as usual forgets that the Portuguese defeated Changili and not defeated by him. The Portuguese lost to the Dutch.\u00a0 <\/span>This is typical Tamil heritage history.<\/p>\n

This is Bishop Rodrigo\u2019s and the Ven. Selvan\u2019s peace-dispensation under which we live swallowing up nonsensical histories like in Selvan\u2019s sermons, a la Ven. Gnanasara Thero<\/b> from whom Anglicans are learning<\/p>\n

Israeli Parallel to The CMS Effort against Fr. Daniel Jeyaruban<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In Palestine, starving babies is part of the Israeli effort to chase out Palestinians. CNN reports <\/span>attacks on medical facilities and healthcare workers in Gaza that \u201cdirectly harmed women and girls during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period,\u201d adding, \u201cthe war has increased the risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, stillbirth, postpartum hemorrhage and underweight newborns.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"

The Rev. Fr. Daniel Jeyaruban<\/p><\/div>\n

The Anglicans are quickly learning from the Israelis. Trapped in this nexus between corruption and cruelty, The Rev. Fr. Daniel Jeyaruban is an ordained Anglican Priest (paid as a teacher at St. John\u2019s College (SJC) by the government) and a Nonstipendiary Priest. So he is independent, not scared of the Bishop\u2019s transfer. In addition to full-time duties at SJC he pronounces absolution of our sins at Jaffna\u2019s Anglican churches.<\/p>\n

Based on SJC\u00a0 <\/span>sources needing deeper investigation, a UK fund for all northern schools has been taken over by SJC and Chundikuli Principals (husband-and-wife) and used exclusively for the two CMS schools. When other donors objected, Fr. Daniel as President of the SJC Teachers\u2019 Guild, asked for transparency by publishing the accounts of some missing Rs. 8 million.\u00a0 <\/span>That sent alarm bells going among whoever if at all is abusing the funds.<\/p>\n

\"\"

J. A. Setukavalar, CMS Chairman<\/p><\/div>\n

What followed shortly was a CMS charge sheet with 7 charges against Fr. Daniel that I judge to be abusive, even vengeful. It was orchestrated mainly by Tamils obsequious to the Bishop,. The CMS Board consists of J.A. Setukavalar (Chairman), the Colombo and Kurunagala Bishops (Rt. Revs. Dushantha Rodrigo, Nishantha Fernando), SJC Manager Rev. Danan Senathirajah, the CMS Principals and CMS school reps (Chundikuli, St. John\u2019s, Ladies\u2019, Mowbray, Hillwood, Trinity). Less qualified Tamils with Bishop\u2019s sinecures spearhead in gratitude the attack against Fr. Daniel.<\/p>\n

Messages to Fr. Daniel tell him if he resigns as Guild President, all would be set right. People wonder if he has done anything deserving sacking or suspension, how his pronouncing our sins being washed is not an anomaly.\u00a0 <\/span>I strongly urge that he not give-in to such church blackmail as if admitting to asinine charges like writing to the Board directly. I think the whole CMS Board including the Bishops suffers from a deficit of intellect<\/b> when there is no rule like that in the CMS Ordinance or staff manual.<\/p>\n

I can name many womanizing and embezzling Anglican priests in service and good standing, even rewarded by good postings. The CMS has forbidden Fr. Daniel from stepping into St. John\u2019s as if he is a leper. He was not allowed to watch the music competition at SJC where his daughter came first. These tell me who the Bishop\u2019s true friends are.<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

It is a display of arrogant ignorance by the CMS when Fr. Daniel was queried how he accessed a \u201cconfidential Ordinance\u201d \u2013 when laws are public. The Ordinance is on the Internet and Section 10.2 gives it as the duty of the CMS \u201cTo receive and consider appeals from any member of the staff of the Institutions.\u201d So what are Setukavalar, the Bishops, the SJC Principal and the CMS Board trying to hide? <\/span><\/p>\n

Perhaps their own misuse of funds? The way\u00a0 <\/span>luxury cars for principals were bought using prohibited funds? I have reason to think the terms of the Bishopric Endowment Fund or another trust were violated in buying cars for Principals. I believe the church unlawfully bypassed the required Diocesan Council authorization like how they spent Rs. 50 lakhs each for two retired bishops and Rs. 110 lakhs each for 4 archdeacons. Councillors are rather poor and will not ordinarily sanction luxury for unlettered clergy so they were bypassed. I believe the same embezzlement permitted almost Rs. 4 lakhs a month in salaries for CMS principals far above what the market will justify, far above a Director of Education\u2019s salary.<\/p>\n

Purchased honorary doctorates are used by CMS officials\u00a0 <\/span>starting from previous chairmen and now managers (using the title Doctor as if earned) to cover CMS\u2019s intellectual vacuum. As a real doctorate awardee asked, \u201cWhere are their theses?<\/p>\n

Fr. Daniel is now in his tenth month on suspension without pay. The CMS is learning from Israel. His wife Betsy Karunya, is in her fifth month of pregnancy subject to CMS-induced stress that can harm their baby<\/b>. The enquiry officer, a Thomian lawyer named Janaprith Fernando appointed unilaterally by the CMS, seems happy to be drawing the inquiry on with no end in sight. Do the many women on the CMS Board have no empathy, no heart?<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

\"\"

Bishop Rodrigo with PM Amarasuriya<\/p><\/div>\n

Is this justice? Is there any sign of the grace and love of Jesus Christ that the CMS and Bishops are supposed to uphold and reflect? The school and the CMS are an insult to Jesus Christ and good, Christian governance while the government is a dumb, silent witness permitting crookedness perhaps to safeguard its new upperclass Christian vote base in Colombo. <\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

Parallels between Church and NGOs<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Churches are not NGOs, but the parallels are strong. The term “NGO” is \u201ccommonly used for organizations that are not affiliated with the government but work on specific social or development issues.\u201d So churches are NGOs but escape the term because governments (recognizing the power of religious organizations) do not wish to meddle with them.<\/p>\n

For churches this is convenient. So like the state, churches hire whom they will as priests like a political party recruits its leadership; promote the compliant; and put down those with free will like Father Daniel who is as qualified as the SJC Principal, even better because of his US master\u2019s degree.<\/p>\n

Church-hires are the fiercely loyal not the cleverest or most qualified. For example, Colombo\u2019s unemployed society women\u00a0 <\/span>without any degree have been on the CMS Boards as school reps supervising well-degreed principals. How dare they charge the better qualified Daniel!<\/p>\n

CMS Chair Setukavalar has no experience in education nor degree but presides over prestigious CMS schools. He sanctions absurd charge sheets to a teacher like Fr. Daniel asking \u201cWhy did you write directly to me?\u201d when the CMS Ordinance explicitly gives entertaining staff complaints as a CMS function. That reveals a corporate, Nazi mindset ignoring written laws. It is unsuitable for a school, especially a Christian school.<\/p>\n

What was Fr. Daniel\u2019s sackable offence? On the other hand priests who embezzle and abuse women and children in Church are covered up for so long as they surrender their will to the top.\u00a0 <\/span>Jesus forgives! Buddhists are left totally alone.<\/p>\n

I ask the CMS what Fr. Daniel\u2019s offence is when Ministers get RI. The CMS\u2019s offences are worse and deserve jail time.<\/p>\n

\"\"

SLPP Stalwarts being Swept away for Long Periods of RI<\/p><\/div>\n

Important Note: <\/b>No matter in this article is open in court.<\/b><\/p>\n

The End of Undisciplined NGOs<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The rights regime is catching up on the state under UN pressure. Government now promises to charge non-compliant formal NGOs. A beginning! That rare news article<\/span><\/a><\/span> on NGO corruption and the news of 29 Oct. 2024 are worth reading. I have tried many times to bring this NGO corruption out but newspapers save Colombo Telegraph<\/span><\/a><\/span> blacked out the news fearing the mention of names. How is anything news when we are not told who the crooks are?<\/p>\n

And newspapers, even rich ones, will avoid defamation charges like the plague. A threat to sue will make a newspaper print a one sided denial<\/span><\/a><\/span> from the accused agency without the accusing author\u2019s input or knowledge. Oh, for the days of Lasantha Wickremetunge when he dared Bishop Kenneth Fernando and printed me on Anglican plans to introduce homosexuality in the church [Reference 1<\/b>].<\/p>\n

Corrupt Attorney General\u2019s<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

I recall how during the Chemmany excavations the Attorney General\u2019s Department had a young official excitedly reporting to Colombo from chemmany on his handphone everytime some body came up. The AG Pretending to uphold the law was worried. That young AG official rose very high. UTHR (J) adds in its special report 12,<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the two Welikade prison massacres of July 1983, the evidence at the magistrate\u2019s inquests was led by DSG Thilak Marapone assisted by Senior State Counsel C.R.de Silva. Many important and obvious questions were not posed, and the evidence was led in a selective manner to support the conclusion that the Tamil suspects were killed in spontaneous prison riots. The case was not pursued. At present C.R.de Silva in the DSG (Deputy Solicitor General) dealing with criminal matters. Among the routine tasks of the AG\u2019s department [are prolonging] the detention of Tamil suspects by framing charges which any judge with professional self-respect should throw out in the first instance. A common one is that the suspect knew the whereabouts of some terrorist, but failed to inform the Police. It is the sort of charge that the suspect confesses to, whether true or not true, after being harassed by a series of detention orders under the PTA, and a trial that the prosecution drags on indefinitely.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And this is the AG\u2019s department whose decisions the new government is urged by the Bar Association not to contest as if the AG officials are our Guardian Angels of the Law. Wolves in Sheep\u2019s Clothing<\/span><\/a><\/span> is more like it! Many of them need to have been prosecuted but they were made Presidents\u2019 Counsel, retired and have lucrative practices. <\/span>In early 2025, AG, Parinda Ranasinghe Jr., a Ranil Wickremesinghe appointeed, made a U-turn on some of his decisions, particularly the withdrawal of the case against the accused in the Lasantha Wickrematunge murder trial.\u00a0It surely was a betrayal of justice and a sign of the office’s alleged manipulation by political forces.\u00a0If he cannot be prosecuted, he must be pursuaded to resign.<\/p>\n

Although the government threatens non-compliant NGOs, it is therefore not only the NGOs that are to blame.<\/p>\n

Even the Registrar of Companies (RoC) fails in his duty.\u00a0 <\/span>Letters from our lawyer Mohan Nagarajan [Reference 2<\/b>] and reminders of overdue action elicited no reply. Why charge an NGO manager while letting off the RoC who perhaps out of indolence or for a bribe lets NGO corruption thrive?<\/p>\n

I pointed out with Baldaeus President Dr. Sam Thevabalasingham to the Registrar of Companies on 03 Aug. 2021 [Reference 3<\/b>] how our BTC was on the brink of bankruptcy for reasons of internal corruption. Such reporting to the RoC is a legal requirement. But no RoC reply! Secretary Ramesh Tharmalingam, and others who had hijacked that BTC Board leaving the President and me in minority were very happy stealing the income and refusing to hold an AGM. Honest Board Members stopped coming for meetings saying they wanted to \u201ctake no sides,\u201d i.e. avoid trouble \u2013 refusing even to ask for accounts.<\/p>\n

Government officials are appointed to RoC\/CIABOC\/JSC\/AG\/Police because of their influence with the government. So, officials are immovable, unassailable. When I complained to CIABOC (AC\/0951\/2023), after months I was asked to come but then told when I reported that investigating the private sector is beyond their mandate \u2013 something they could have claimed a year earlier giving me a chance to pursue justice elsewhere. Unless RoC\/CIABOC\/AG\/Police\/JSC\u00a0 <\/span>officials share in the loot, I cannot explain their stonewalling, particularly my complaint to the Judicial Service Commission [Reference 4<\/b>] against a judge who was later interdicted<\/span><\/a><\/span>. Tamil newspapers added he was stalking a litigant at night, and the villagers caught him and gave him to the police. I suppose by then the Judicial Service Commission could not protect him.<\/p>\n

In churches denuded of members, few educated are left behind. Those without O. Levels are credentialled through fake degrees like from Pilimatalawa, dual styled, one UGC accredited from Serampore and the other with below-par degrees from Pilimatalawa not accepted by the Indian UGC.<\/p>\n

Only the Roman Catholic Church has escaped the trap, requiring long periods of clergy-training and sending ordinands to Rome where they get solid academic training and learn to study\/preach\/communicate in English.<\/p>\n

All was well when many Christian\u00a0 <\/span>followers were educated and would question maladministration. But there are few workers of quality today with love to all. They are acquisitive, using their organizational experience to buy farms from foreign donations and manage them employing relations. Gifts to the Mission are written in the name of Pastors, even lands and cars as at Reformed Churches in Mannar and Trincomalee.<\/p>\n

As large organizations train clergy who go to India members mainly without a degree made one Selva Miyes President of BTC probably not knowing quarter credits for a degree from semester credits to administer a college. He promptly assigned to BTC\u2019s Principal Mano (who failed programmes in America and returned without a degree then), salaries and loans not permitted to Board Members. Such know no constitutional rules of organizations like running a meeting. The uneducated and socially depressed depend on the pastor for jobs. They vote \u201cYes\u201d to the budget prepared for him by the few educated members (often from Colombo in English).<\/p>\n

BTC is a nonprofit, yet on 14.01.2023 they charged Rs. 450,000 from Canada\u2019s Door of Hope Ministries for running youth camps, besides many other camps. The proceeds were not reported to me or to the President, or deposited into the account before being taken out (as constitutionally required) without informing either of us. The entire Rs. 450,000 was spent\u00a0 <\/span>in one day for so called renovation without consulting the President or showing us tenders.<\/p>\n

Mainline churches, evangelical churches, educated churches, churches of the depressed \u2013 there is no difference. They all bow before church authority and do not like to go against authority. That is how funds for so many cars were embezzled. The Churches are run like NGOs, floating to the top those who support the Bishop\/President\/Prime Minister. Heads of churches, JSC, RoC, Judiciary, Police must roll not just the Boards of non-compliant NGOs.<\/p>\n

They do not know of being governed by constitutions. The Colombo-led Grace Churches put their people in key-positions on the BTC Board without the required AGM. RoC looks the other way. BTC and RoC badly failed.<\/p>\n

The sacked BTC Company Secretary Aruni Sanders-Gunasekera\u00a0 <\/span>(who uses both names Sanders and Gunasekera in BTC documents, making it difficult to figure out her real last name) was also drawing pay from the Board which was meeting without a quorum and taking money when Bursar Jeyaraj had fled Sri Lanka in April 2022 [Reference 5<\/b>].<\/p>\n

Trincomalee\u2019s BTC Board meetings are held without a quorum by Rev. R. Thileepan, Rev. Ramesh Tharmalingham and Rev. Velu Jeyaseelan. The Minutes are not distributed unless the relevant Board Member attended the previous meeting. The Bursar is in the UK said to be asking for asylum. The HNB bank issued a large number of new cheque leaves at his request when he sought asylum. Cheques are cosigned by the Secretary I believe. The Rs. 200 Swiss Franks monthly income is spent with no programmes. A retired government engineer Rev. Reginold Thileepan\u00a0 <\/span>and the Administrator Rev. Murugupillai Sabesan who failed his NDT help in English correspondence. The latter untruthfully wrote to RoC in Jan. 2020 that the Audit was approved at the AGM. The Trincomalee Coordinator for LEADS, an international NGO, ignored many warnings from me and took time to act against Bursar Jeyaraj seeking asylum in London. Millions have disappeared even after the Bursar left LEADS using the blank cheques from HNB.<\/p>\n

The Trinco Police Chief to whom I complained peeked through the door when I went to him with the Nilaveli OIC and a written complaint from the Principal. He refused to see us. I wrote to CIABOC on 19 Nov. 2023 seeking redress. I was gladdened to receive a letter to come for a meeting on 9 July 2024 but was told their mandate does not cover private sector actors. I wrote to CIABOC on 10 July 2024 saying our <\/b>Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023 Article 2 lists CIABOC\u2019s first object to be to<\/p>\n

prevent and eradicate bribery and corruption<\/b><\/span> in order to meet the just requirements of the general welfare of a democratic society<\/b>.<\/p>\n

It does not exclude private sector corruption. A year later, no reply. CIABOC is averse to work.<\/p>\n

Finally, the Prime Minister promised through a public notice [Reference 6]<\/b> to investigate any corruption. I promptly sent her my complaint on 31 Dec. 2024. No reply yet, but am confident that despite the 6 months\u2019 delay, she has someone working on it.<\/p>\n

Finally, now that people like many Rajapakse loyalists are being put in jail, fear of authority is declining. The law is more even-handed. It is time to send the corrupt to jail, especially officials like at churches, CIABOC, RoC, the Police and JSC who shield the corrupt.<\/p>\n

Our former President Dr. Sam Thevabalasingham relinquished office at the AGM on 17.08.2020 citing his age and health, and I was elected President. However, on 28.08.2020 a stay order by the Colombo Commercial Court ordered that we should not claim to be the Board, or the AGM to have been held. With the stay-order, the last elected Board of 18.12.2018 was back allowing Secretary Ramesh, President-Elect Reginold Thileepan and Rev. Velu Joseph Jeyaseelan to run three-man meetings without quorum, when Dr. Thevabalasingham (President) and I (Vice President) were in minority and not given meeting notices or minutes. The judge ruled the case dismissed around 3 March 2025 and uplifted the stay. Accordingly, I am the President now. Some have written to Dr. Thevabalasingham blaming him for all the dark and crooked deeds of the Board run by three persons (without the quorum of 4). It is hard-earned Christian money that has been looted.<\/p>\n

I please ask you to clear Dr. Sam Thevabalasingham\u2019s name by publishing this<\/b> and helping restore the looted funds given for Christian work.<\/p>\n

To the Government: Prosecute errant NGOs but also Bishops, Pastors, and CIABOC, the JSC, Registrar of Companies. Anything less would be like prosecuting only the SLPP politicians. <\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

End.<\/p>\n

Reference 1:<\/b>\u00a0 <\/span>The Sunday Leader defies Bishop Kenneth Fernando and publishes Anglican Plans to Permit Homosexuality (Leader, 31 Aug. 1997).<\/p>\n

Reference 2<\/b>: Ignored Letter to Registrar of Companies of BTC Corruption by Lawyer, Corruption thereby Fortified by RoC<\/p>\n

Reference 3:<\/b> Ignored Letter to RoC (Registrar of Companies) by BTC President Dr. Sam Thevabalasingham and me to save BTC from Imminent Bankruptcy<\/p>\n

Reference 4: <\/b>My Formal Unacknowledged Complaint to the Judicial Service Commission Chaired by the Chief Justice: Protecting Bad Judges?<\/p>\n

Reference 5<\/b>: Removal of Aruni Sanders-Gunasekera<\/p>\n

Reference 6<\/b>: The Prime Minister\u2019s Press Notice Inviting Complaints against Corruption<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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