Namal-PB clash resurface over Lotteries Board issue

Monday, 13 May 2013 1

Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. P.B. Jayasundera has overruled an order issued by MP Namal Rajapaksa to remove the Chairman of National Lotteries Board, Chaminda Athuluwage, who has been accused of many corrupt and fraudulent cases. Dr. Jayasundera has ordered not to remove Athuluwage.

The chairman has been accused of corruption in relation to advertising and promotions of the institution. There are 7 companies that have been registered with the institution to carry out advertising and promotional work and all these companies are owned by people supportive of the government. Most of the projects are carried out by an advertising company owned by the editorial director of Lake House Seelaratne Senarath.

It has been proven by now that the chairman has acted in a corrupt manner when publishing advertisements of the Lotteries Board. Although previous chairmen of the Board had not spent more than Rs. 2 million for a musical show organized by the institution, the current chairman had allocated Rs. 9 million for the programme and had kept 40% of the money for him.

Meanwhile, he has also approved several marketing promotions for the Board and has given 80% more funds to the companies to carry out the projects. Audit reports of the Board indicate that the allocations made for the promotions are three times more than what the previous chairmen have used and that the chairman had given more money and taken massive commissions. Therefore, Namal Rajapaksa has ordered that Athuluwage be removed from his post at the Board and former chairman Upali Liyanage be re-appointed to the post.

Upali Liyanage is married to one of former President Chandrika Kumaratunge’s school friends and he was appointed as the National Lotteries Board Chairman due to this friendship. In order to safeguard his position, Liyanage became a henchman of Kumaratunge’s media advisor, Sanath Gunathileka. Liyanage has switched his allegiance to the Rajapaksas with the change of government and is now a good friend of Namal Rajapaksa. He is now the chairman of the Fisheries Harbour Corporation that is affiliated to the Fisheries Ministry. However, it is learnt that he is eyeing the post of chairman of the National Lotteries Board.