Institutes linked with ‘Sharia Uni’ to come before COPE

METHMALIE DISSANAYAKE- MAY 10 2019

Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Chairman and JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunnetti today (10) said he hopes to summon the Board of Investment (BOI), University Grants Commission (UGC), Vocational Training Authority (VTA) and all other institutions which have links with the controversial ‘Sharia University’ project in Batticaloa before COPE on 21 May.

Handunnetti made this remark while participating in the Adjournment debate on the current security situation after the Easter Sunday terror attacks.

He queried, “This institute is attempting to register as a university. Now the Government tries to evade from this problem by saying that this controversial project was started by the former Government. Let us say that, that is true. But then, why did the current Government allow the project to continue without any investigation? Leader of the House and Minister Lakshman Kiriella earlier made some remarks about leasing 35 acres to the Sri Lanka HIRA Foundation (SLHF) for building this so called university in 2013. That land was owned by the Mahaweli Development Authority.

How is it possible for a State Department to hand over lands to a Non-Government Organisation of this nature? He forgot to mention that fact. The other thing which Kiriella evaded mentioning is as to who the owner of this SLHF is and who has shares in the ‘Sharia University’ project. Is he afraid to say that the SLHF is owned by none other than Eastern Province Governor M.L.A.M. Hizbullah?”
Kiriella who spoke before Handunnetti said 35 acres of land was leased to the SLHF in 2013 to set up a training centre for an estimated lease of Rs 491,200 per year. Taxes amounting to this were also paid.

“However, it was later found that the SLHF was registered in 2014, despite it getting 35 acres of land to establish the training centre in 2013,” Kiriella noted.

He further said the Government put aside the proposal to accept the said training centre as a university, which was presented by then Higher Education Minister Dr. Sarath Amunugama on 3 July, 2015.

Handunnetti stressed that President Maithripala Sirisena stated that this institute would be established as a private university with degree awarding status.

“I wonder under whose ownership the President wishes to establish this so called institute. Is he hoping to transfer the ownership of it to Governor Hizbullah like Dr. Neville Fernando owned the Medical Faculty of the South Asian Institute of Technology and Medicine? We should investigate these things thoroughly. That is why I hope to summon all the relevant institutions related to this project before the COPE. I am doing it within the powers I have as the COPE Chairman. Everyone related to this project should be questioned,” he added.

On 9 May, State Minister of Defence Ruwan Wijewardena said that an investigation has been launched to determine as to how the son of Hizbullah secured shares worth Rs 500 million in the controversial education institute which is funded by Saudi Arabia.