Sajith says one thing and does another | Sunday Observer

Sajith says one thing and does another

11 December, 2022

The leader of the Opposition has, as of recently begun quoting from the Dhamma. In 2015, he quoted Dhamma to speak of corruption as thus. “In the recent past monies reserved for Divineguma to uplift the lives of people were spent on private projects. I am saying this based on the principle that one must follow one’s own advice before expecting others to do so.

This is also mentioned in the Dhammapada. It must be said that I am not taking the salary of a Minister, official vehicles, fuel, quarters, allowances and other benefits. All this adds up to Rs. 357,000 per month. I donate the money to build houses in the country. Even the refreshments organised for you were obtained through a sponsor and not public monies. It must be said that we have no moral right to use Samurdhi or Divineguma funds for such purposes.”

According to Sajith Premadasa he has not obtained any allowance or benefit as a Minister. He boasts of not using public monies. However, evidence presented below proves otherwise.

The total loss suffered by the State Engineering Corporation (SEC) during Premadasa’s tenure as a Minister is an estimated Rs. 63.5 million according to the audit report which looked into financial losses and irregularities in the organisation.

It was revealed that Rs. 42 million in losses were due to Premadasa paying salaries and overtime for outsources security personnel of the organisation for his ministerial office, election office and the salon owned by his wife.

Audit report

The audit report also makes mention of nine other financial losses suffered by the Corporation due to the acts of Premadasa. Accordingly the unpaid special salary advances of Sarath G. Jayathilake, the Acting Director of the Corporation from 2017 to 2019 is earning a staggering Rs. 2.3 million. The audit in 2020 revealed that Premadasa as Minister had used staff and property of the SEC to refurbish a building at Sirikotha costing the corporation a loss of Rs. 13.2 million.

In 2015 during an interview, Premadasa’s wife Jalani revealed that the two had first met at the Sucharitha during an alms giving held for Sajith Premadasa’s father, the late President Premadasa. The audit report even revealed how Sajith Premadasa spent funds of the SEC to refurbish Sucharitha.

The 2020 report said he had misappropriated funds amounting to Rs. 368 836.55 by using SEC staff and property to refurbish the Sucharitha hall. The 2019 report also revealed that workers of the SEC in the South had been used for his events and political work causing a loss of Rs. 2.4 million.

In addition to this the audit report confirmed that financial losses of Rs. 300,000, 500,000, 500,000, 300,000 and 200,000 each have occurred during Sajith Premadasa’s tenure as Minister.

Meanwhile, the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the alleged corruption in Government institutions between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2018 highlighted nine allegations related to the Ministry of Housing.

It is alleged that a vehicle valued at Rs. 60 million had been purchased outside the regular procurement process while another accusation was levelled that an agreement had been entered into purchasing a paddy land in Gangodawila for Rs. 100 million in July 2018.

The Commission found that the Housing Development Authority had hired more than 2,500 employees for management positions in violation of circulars and beyond the approved staff for the Housing Development Authority. It said that Government funds have been misused by paying salaries and transportation allowances for these staff.

Revelations were also made of 1,117 people mentioned in emails and faxes sent by Sajith Premadasa’s private secretary Aruna Dahanayake on his advice being hired for various posts while extending the service period of 33 staff over the age of 60.

The Commission in the end has recommended that the information found be given to the Attorney General’s Department and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption so that action can be taken against Premadasa, Dahanayake and another for the misappropriation of Rs. 641,870, 135.64 in public monies.

The Commission also found that Premadasa had spent exorbitantly on commemorative plaques for the ‘Samata Sevana’ program with just one plaque costing Rs. 237,480. In addition to this another Rs. 272, 434 has been spent on various sign boards for each village declared open.

From 2016 - 2018 the total cost for plaques was an estimated Rs. 44, 966,244 while the cost of one opening event was Rs. 3 million. Some events had even cost Rs. 11.3 million with the Ministry hosting over 160 such events during the time and declaring open 200 plaques.

Another allegation against Premadasa during his tenure is relating to the purchase of a 151 acre plot of land. The National Housing Development Authority had allegedly sold a land located on Darley Road and spent Rs. 427,125,571.54 rupees in an account to purchase 151 acres of private land. The disbursement of the land had happened according to the whims and fancies of the Minister.

Out of the 1,762 benefactors, 1,410 had not requested for land while 94 were provided plots without any documentation. Eleven out of them were given land based on letters of recommendation provided by Premadasa’s political reps in the grassroots. Some 29 benefactors have transferred their lands to others for various purposes.

When he was appointed as the Minister of Housing and Samurdhi, he preached on leaders’ responsibility to serve the people without spending public monies to live in the lap of luxury. He said he will not use Samurdhi money for cutouts banners or to even hold personal or party events. He promised to be clean and transparent.

However, Premadasa, despite his claims, has used Rs. 307.71 million to take out 2,721 newspaper advertisements from 2016 - 2019. Another Rs. 84.97 million had been spent to print posters, invitations and supplements about the events. The organisation apparently lost Rs. 3.95 million due to posters and other items that remained unused.

Accordingly Rs. 38, 604 had been spent for propaganda per house out of 7,971 in 288 villages created. The printing job had also been granted to a company identified as JSU print without following the State procurement process.

Political work

In 2015, Sajith Premadasa said that by suspending the services of forty-two people who had been appointed as sales reps of the State Engineering Corporation but carried out political work instead the corporation was saved Rs. 14.4 million.

But he had then gone on to hire 307 staff to the Building Materials Corporation between 2015 - 2019. On September 1, 2019, at least 116 staff were confirmed and made permanent.

However, the current management claims the BMC needs only 80 members of staff. It is said the SBC suffered a loss of Rs. 10,585,637.25 due to the failure to recover a loan given out by the Ambalantota protect unit to the model village project on the recommendation of Sajith Premadasa’s Coordinating Secretary Kokila Kahapola.

Premadasa is also accused of causing significant losses by opening many branches of the BMC that could not be maintained nor generated any income. Since the branches opened in Suriyawewa, Weeraketiya, Tissamaharama and Lunugamvehera have been closed down. The cost for these was Rs. 56,214,001.32.

All these allegations of irregularities are evidence based among many others. In 2015 after being sworn in Premadasa said he intended to inquire into the acts of corruption of the previous Minister. Accordingly audits were to be carried out by private firms Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers and the Minister claimed the firms undertook the work pro bono.

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