(Lanka-e-News -28.July.2016, 11.30PM) The Rajapakse team which always plays with the crooked bat has raised objections pertaining to the coal power plant illicit deals and exposures .This is solely and wholly based on their anxiety , anguish and anger over their losing the corrupt benefits they were deriving from the deal.
The true story that has unfolded so far in short is : during the period between 2009 and 2015 in Sri Lanka (SL) when coal was imported it was the Rajapakses mainly and their relatives who earned in billions of rupees out of this racket. Hereunder are the exploratory details ……
When the first coal tender was called in 2009 , four companies were found eligible. The Technological evaluation committee based on the FOB value decided that the tender be awarded to ‘Coal of Africa’ Co. At that point the then secretary to the power and energy ministry , Ferdinando and Finance ministry secretary P.B.Jayasundara intervening at the behest of the Rajapakses changed the tender conditions and decided to take into account the CIF value .Based on that Holcim Co. was selected.Subsequently , citing a decision of the PAB Board under Mahinda Rajapakse it was portrayed that the coal to be supplied by Noble Co. has the highest calorie value ( never did Noble Co. supply coal of that high value – 6300 Kcal/kg ) , and the tender was awarded to that Co. The following week it was decided that the transport of coal be done via Chamal Rajapakse’s Ports Authority shipping Corporation (for obvious reasons)
Though the value was based back again on FOB system, the tender was not awarded to Coal of Africa. Following all these manipulations , the loss that resulted to the Ceylon Electricity Board was many billions of rupees .If the Supreme court (SC) had probed into this procurement manipulation at that time their hearts would have split apart and bled profusely at this massive ruthless scam committed by a selfish traitorous few to the detriment of the whole nation !
It is significant to note Noble’s Co. is not a locally registered Co. and even awarding a tender to such a Co. under the Government Contracts Act is unlawful. This is clearly mentioned in the order of the SC delivered recently . In any event , Senarath Kahandaliyanagamage of Baurs Co. was appointed as the local agent of Noble Co.
The entire machination was orchestrated and planned at Temple Trees and those involved were Amal Peiris , Jehan Amaratunge and Ravi Wijeratne who were paid commissions, while the Lion’s share of the illicit gains out of this coal scam were siphoned off into the pockets of the children of the sister of Mahinda Rajapakse , namely , Himal Hettiarachi and Rangani Hettiarachi.
It is specially worthy of note that in the 18 cases of money laundering against Namal Rajapakse and Yoshitha Rajapakse , these two culprits (Hettiarachis)are named as accused.
In the first round , on the instructions of Mahinda Rajapakse (the president at that time) ,Ravi Wijeratne spending Rs. 70 million purchased shares of Sena Yudhehige of Rivira Co. and Prasanna Wickremesuriya was appointed on that account as the chief of the Rivira Director Board.
In addition , Nimal Hettiarachi and Rangani Hettiarachi invested over Rs. 100 million in the CSN media chain while Ravi Wijewardena purchased Leader and Irudina newspaper Institution after paying a sum of Rs. 45 million to the brother of Late Lasantha Wickremetunge.
(Refer to reports of newspapers at that time) . The illicit gains of the coal scam were also used to send abroad children of news editors of several leading media organizations and to pay monthly allowances to them ; and to meet the expenditure of weddings of the offsprings of ministerial secretaries . A large amount of this wealth was invested by Himal Hettiarachi in Lyka Mobile establishment ( launched by close allies of the Tiger organization )
The second coal tender was called in 2012 , and since the power grid had expanded ,2.2 million tons more of coal (that is three fold more) were needed. At that stage , various Institutions came forward , and via appeals and litigation the tender awards were delayed , thereby a coal shortage was created , when the ministry of finance intervened and awarded the tender to Noble Co.
From that point of time , all the profits of the coal scam via tender were siphoned off into the ‘coffers’ of Yoshitha Rajapakse. It was thereafter Yoshitha became owner of CSN worth billions of rupees and massive funds in the bank accounts too in Dubai and Ukraine.
In 2013 ,bids were called for the tender, and it was decided that the tender be awarded to Swiss Singapore Co. The secretary to the minister of power and energy declared that all the companies including Noble Co are illegal based on an ulterior motive.
That was to release ‘kappam’ (extortion) payment to the LTTE Diaspora via South Africa . Those behind this dastardly and traitorous activity were Sajin Vaas Gunawardena , S. Subramaniam and South Africa’s ambassador . However after these surreptitious ‘games and deals’ were exposed by the media , the Swiss Singapore tender was cancelled, and the tender was again awarded to Noble Co., while Swiss Singapore Co. was given a license to import oil without any competition.
In 2015, at the presidential elections in order to bar the voting of the Tamils through the Tamil Diaspora , this illicit oil money was sought to be used , but that did not succeed. ( At the presidential elections the percentage of voting across the whole country was 80 % , while it was 65 % in Jaffna an Wanni.)
During the 100 days program because competitive tender bids were invited after halting the Swiss Singapore non competitive tender award ( along with this, the tender that was awarded to Unipack Singapore too became invalid) , the Petroleum Corporation gained many billions of rupees .
Similarly , the coal monopoly that was enjoyed by Noble Co. for 5 years also foundered in 2015 ; and instantaneous purchase of coal was put in place. Owing to this change and introduction of this new system , the Ceylon Electricity Board earned a profit of Rs. 1800 million just within a year ! Earlier on all this wealth that rightly belongs to the nation trekked wrongly into the bottomless extraordinarily large eternally open pockets of Rajapakses.
During the period between 2009 and 2015 because Noble Co. was from time to time delaying and suspending coal supply ,the CEB lost in billions. Minister Ranjith Siyambalapitiya presented a comprehensive report in parliament on the 20 th of July in this regard. On one such occasion , the Lanka shipping Co. under Mahinda Rajapakse bought three ship loads of coal from Torian Co. , when a quantity of inferior quality coal was supplied .
When Patalie Champika Ranawake , the minister of power and energy at that time refused to pay Rs. 460 million in connection with this unlawful shipment , he was removed from that portfolio and ministry of Technology was allocated to him , and in his place Pavthra Wanniarachi was appointed as power and energy minister to enable the payment to Torian Co. in June 2013. Owing to this corruption and fraud , the Electricity Board is even today unable to overcome the monumental loss it incurred .
The local representative of Torian Co. sent a spurious satellite up through Rohitha Rajapkse the youngest son of Mahinda Rajapakse .The funds for this project was provided out of the illict earnings through the three shipments of inferior coal via the shipping corporation under Mahinda Rajapakse .
When Rajapakses are being remanded ,Yoshitha and Namal Rajapakse are struggling and squeaking like two destructive rats caught in a mouse trap because they are reminded of their many billions of rupees amassed via this massive coal scam at the expense of the country and the people . While these two crooked ‘zeros’ are trying to become heroes and parade as Zorros despite their ruthless daylight robbery of public funds , more details of this mystery shrouded story of the coal scam can be secured if the aforementioned details are further probed into.
This exploratory article is by a Free lance exploratory journalist .
Sandamal Edirisinghe
Translated by Jeff
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by (2016-07-29 12:44:53)
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