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Mastermind behind Sil cloth racket who escaped jail sentence vying for Vice Chancellor post ! Whither SL?

(Lanka-e-News - 19.Sep.2017, 11.45PM)  The  court decision on the colossal Sil cloth fraud committed by a former secretary of an equally or more corrupt  deposed and presently people discarded president of the country which created a sensation and considered as a most salutary verdict in the judicial history of Sri Lanka , was highly appreciated by one and all . It was a most erudite high court judge Gihan Kulatunge who delivered this verdict on this special case after  a 30 days trial  in which the secretary of an ex president was involved and the ex president himself was blamed and tainted.

Learned judge  Kulatunge by delivering this verdict against a State official of the highest echelons for the first time in judicial history proved to the people of Sri Lanka and the world that there are still judges of his  caliber with sterling qualities gracing SL’s judicial bench among the many who are  shamelessly  disgracing the bench. Indeed the Sri Lankans who were thirsting for justice and fair play from the judiciary which as of late were  ebbing away ,were inspired and buoyed up by this bold decision . 

The Attorney General (AG) filed action against Lalith Weeratunge the ex secretary to deposed president Mahinda Rajapakse,  and the  Director General of SLT Regulatory commission , Anusha Pelpita on charges of misappropriating Rs. 600  million of SLT funds and unlawfully spending on Sil cloth distribution to benefit Mahinda Rajapakse during the  last presidential election . On 2015-01-05  , action was taken by these culprits   to distribute 800 ,000 parcels of white cloth (Sil cloth) each containing  5 meters of cloth,  through temples Island wide.
  
The masterminds behind this Sil cloth distribution were Basil Rajapakse , Dallas Alahaperuma , Lalith Weeratunge  and Sampath Amaratunge the Vice chancellor of Sri Jayawardenapura University.

Based on a survey conducted by Sampath Amaratunge , about 800 000 observed Sil on Full Moon Poya Day in the temples Island wide.  It is to be noted Sampath was appointed to the post of Vice Chancellor with the support of Mahinda Rajapakse   the president then. At the voting , Sampath  came third , while Professor Mohan De Silva who is the present president of the University Grants Commission  topped the list .   Sampath was appointed as Vice Chancellor as well as a member of the SLT Regulatory commission though those appointments were  absolutely unlawful. Mahinda made these illegal appointments illegally , and the Sil cloth distribution was a reciprocal gesture for the illegal favors granted by Mahinda Rajapakse .
 
This project  was presented to Basil Rajapakse . Basil who is a byword for  corruption and a notorious fraud himself eagerly accepted the proposal and presented it to Mahinda Rajapakse the chieftain of the crooks (Alibaba) .  It was their main aim to secure at least 800, 000 votes of the innocent Buddhist devotees in the villages by launching this project.

In each of these parcels a photograph of Mahinda Rajapakse  and a note which read ‘This is a Dhamma gift based on the policies of Mahinda Rajapakse to create a righteous country  and for its improvement’ were enclosed.
 
This concept was a brainchild of Sampath , and Basil , Dallas and Lalith played the key roles in this project. Auditor Gunaratne however told Lalith Weeratunge in writing that no funds of the president’s   office  are available  for this project. It was  Sampath Amaratunge who had reminded funds of SLT regulatory commission are available. 

Weeratunge being the president of the  Commission had informed Pelpita to transfer Rs. 600 million to his account , and that sum was transferred to his account on 2014-12-05. There was about Rs. 100 million set aside for SLT’s community development but that had been exhausted.  Based on the evidence adduced the sum of Rs. 600 million was transferred to Weeratunge’s account without the approval of the board of Directors of the TRC .
 
It is most intriguing though   Sampath Aamaratunge was a member of the TRC board and a mastermind in this racket he had not been summoned as a witness by the defendants. 

It is significant to note the Elections Commissioner had issued a circular on 2014-11-22 that after  the presidential elections has been announced , no resources of the State can be used for promoting a candidate . Yet Lalith Weeratunge despite being the secretary to the president the highest in the hierarchy of the country , and being fully aware of the directive had indulged in this Sil cloth racket , the judgment delivered by the learned judge specially highlighted . 

While Lalith and Pelpita are behind bars for their illicit contributions to make their political ‘boss’ and mentor Mahinda Rajapakse to win elections, rumors are circulating that  the mastermind and the brainchild of this Sil cloth concept  Sampath Amaratunge  who should also be behind bars though he escaped by a hair’s breadth ,  is staking his claims  for the post of Vice Chancellor for the second time. 

Shouldn’t the leaders of the good governance focus on this grave issue which can be most detrimental to the country , of appointing such a crook to the post of Vice Chancellor of the highest seat of learning in the country ?

By a special reporter 

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by     (2017-09-20 03:27:17)

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