A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
A Brief Colonial History Of Ceylon(SriLanka)
Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Thiranjala Weerasinghe sj.- One Island Two Nations
?????????????????????????????????????????????????Saturday, August 26, 2017
Shiranthi Squanders Rs. 25 Million In Five Days
- From tax payers’ hard-earned money…
by Nirmala Kannangara-Friday, 25 August 2017
Although the extravagant expenses made by the Rajapaksa family during
their time was not a secret, it had now come to light how former First
Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa had spent a staggering amount of tax payers’
hard-earned money to stay in Paris for four nights just prior to her
husband’s defeat at the 2015 presidential election.
Official documents this newspaper is now in possession shows how the
former First Lady’s tour to Paris, to take part in the UNESCO Vesak
Celebration in 2014, had resulted in public funds running into millions
of rupees being used within five days. Mrs. Rajapaksa had accompanied
her aunt – Daisy Forest alias Daisy Achchi – who shot to fame for
receiving a gunny of gem stones from an unknown person, which was spent
to purchase a property from Mt. Lavinia for her grand nephew, Yoshitha
Rajapaksa, and a close associate.
The trio had checked in to one of the most luxurious hotels in Paris –
Four Seasons Hotel George V and had wined and dined spending public
money to the tune of a staggering Rs. 25 million. Although the
accomplices had stayed in deluxe rooms, Shiranthi Rajapaksa had checked
in to the Royal Suite, which is on the first floor of the hotel that has
direct access to a private terrace overlooking the historic art deco
fountain, the Three Grace. This suite features an oversize space for
entertainment and relaxation with a marble fireplace and the master
marble bathroom of redefined luxury with a steam room and a spacious
walk-in dressing room fit for a king.
The Royal Suite charge alone had cost the country Rs. 10.556 million
(Euro 58,000) for her five-day stay in Paris for the UNESCO event. A
staggering amount of Rs. 25.08 million had been spent on Mrs. Rajapaksa
and her two accomplices – Daisy Forest and Peththawadu Lakeesha
Nisansala de Silva for accommodation, food and mini bar, limousines, VIP
and miscellaneous expenses together with domestic air fare to Lourdes,
where the famous Catholic shrine is. Although the said cost had been
borne by the then Ministry of External Affairs headed by Prof. G. L.
Peiris, it is believed that the airfare from Colombo to Paris had been
settled by the Presidential Secretariat.
According to a document dated May 4, 2017 attested by the Sri Lankan
Ambassador to France, Thilak Ranaviraja, the cost breakdown with the
invoices of the expenditure incurred for Shiranthi’s visit to Paris is
137,396 Euros (Sri Lankan Rs. 25.08 million). For the accommodation with
incidental expenses Rs. 16.17 million (Euro 88,552), limousine hire
charges were Rs. 7.59 million (Euro 41,650), Air tickets from Paris to
Lourdes was Rs. 7.68 lakhs (Euro 42,000) and VIP and miscellaneous
expenses Rs. 5.43 lakhs (Euro 2,994) which the total comes to Rs. 25.08
million (Euro 137,396).
In an urgent fax to the Sri Lankan Ambassador in Paris by the Chief
Accountant, Ministry of External Affairs dated May 19, 2014, states that
Rs. 25 million had been allocated for the First Lady’s visit to Paris.
The fax further states as thus, ‘File Ref: MEA/FIN/CU-06/001/2014.
Allocation of funds for the First Lady’s visit to Paris. This refers to
the letter No: FM/F1/157/2014(18) dated May 16, 2014 on the above.
‘Allocation of SL Rs. 25 million (Euro187,000) has been granted under the Vote No: 001-01-01-0-1102 to meet the above expenses.
‘Accordingly, you are kindly requested to make payments not exceeding
the allocations granted and send debit intimations to the Presidential
Secretariat with a copy to this Ministry along with Monthly Summery of
Accounts’.
Although the trio had stayed at Four Seasons Hotel George V in Paris
from May 20 to May 24 in the guise of the UNESCO event, they had also
flown to Lourdes on a private religious tour on May 23 out of public
funds. Suite charge alone for Shiranthi Rajapaksa was Rs. 2.639 million
(Euro 14,500) per day and for her five-day stay, the tax payers had paid
Rs. 10.556 million (Euro 58,000) and another Rs. 1.082 million (Euro
5,945.50) had been spent on food, spirits, laundry and spa products
during her stay over there. Room charges for Daisy Forest, Lakeesha De
Silva and for the Sri Lankan Embassy official who accompanied Shiranthi
Rajapaksa were Rs. 245,700 (Euro 1,350) per day, per person and for the
four nights it had cost the tax payer Rs. 982,800 (Euro 5,400) per
person. For Daisy Achchi, Lakeesha de Silva and the Embassy officer the
country had spent Rs. 2.948 million (Euro 16,200) and incidental
expenses for Daisy Forest for four nights was Rs. 277,368 (Euro 1,524);
for Lakeesha de Silva, Rs. 361,452 (Euro 1,986); and for the Embassy
Official, Rs. 891,254 (Euro 4,897). The total cost for food and room
charges were Rs.16.175 million (Euro 88,552.50).
Once the former Foreign Minister had told that although King George V of
England had stayed at Four Seasons Hotel George V, Queen Elizabeth II
does not wish to stay there due to its high rates, but for the ‘Sri
Lankan Queen’ the high rates were not an issue as it was borne by the
tax payers’ and not by the Rajapaksas.
The day Shiranthi Rajapaksa had checked in, according to the hotel bill
(folio number 357270 dated May 24. 2014), she had spent Rs. 84,448 (Euro
464) for her dinner while on May 22 she had used Rs. 45,864 worth of
sprits from the room mini bar and on May 24, she had obtained sprits
once again from the mini bar worth of Rs. 40,222 (Euro 221) and on the
same day another Rs. 67,522 (Euro 371) had been spent on sprits. Her
telephone bill during the stay was Rs. 101,829 (Euro 559.5). The spa
products she had obtained from the hotel on May 22 had cost yet another
Rs. 23,660 (Euro 130).
Although Daisy Forest had not obtained sprits, according to hotel’s
folio number 375209, she had continuously taken telephone calls worth
Rs. 220,220 (Euro 1,210) from the day she checked in up to the time she
checked out.
According to folio number 357208 dated May 24, 2014, Lakeesha de Silva
had spent Rs. 372,372 (Euro 2,046) on food and sprits during her stay at
the hotel.
Meanwhile, another Rs. 7.5 million had been spent to hire limousines
during this period and according to official documents, the limousines
had been hired from Royal Services Limousines and the breakdown is: For
the Multivan that had been hired before and during Rajapaksa’s tour from
May 18 to May 24 had cost Rs. 828,100 (Euro 4,550). The hiring charges
for the Mercedes S600 was Rs. 1.646 million (Euro 9,045), for Mercedes
S350 Rs. 806,988 (Euro 4,434), for Mercedes Viano Rs. 745,290 (Euro
4,095), another Mercedes Viano had been hired and its hiring cost was
Rs. 804,440 (Euro 4,420), for Mercedes Class E Rs. 707,980 (Euro 3,890)
and for the second Mercedes Class E, another Rs. 755,300 (Euro 4,150)
had been paid. The total hiring charges with the applicable taxes were
Rs. 7.553 million (Euro 41,500).
A highly reliable official at the External Affairs Ministry during the
previous regime, on conditions of anonymity, said that although the tour
was planned only for the then First Lady, when the other two names were
sent from the Presidential Secretariat to be included, the ministry had
no say but to allocate more funds for the additional party as well. “An
official from the Sri Lankan Embassy in France was assigned to look
into matters related to Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s visit. But when the two
names were included the External Affairs Ministry had to bear the
additional cost as well. The tour to Lourdes was not official but a
private visit. We had to pay the airfare for that as well,” sources
said.
When asked who chose the hotel for the visiting party, the sources said
that although when the President travels officially, to maintain the
standard the best hotel is booked as he has to meet foreign dignitaries,
he was not aware whether Four Seasons Hotel George V was chosen by the
then First Lady or the External Affairs Ministry officials. “I assume
that this luxurious hotel may have been selected by Shiranthi Rajapaksa
as I know for certain that the ministry officials would not have chosen
such an expensive hotel and one of its finest suits for Mrs. Rajapaksa.
When instructions were given, our officials do not have a say but to
abide by the instructions. This is waste of money. During the first few
months of the present regime, when I was still at the External Affairs
Ministry, I have seen how easy for our officials to make arrangements
for the President or Prime Minister’s official tours as pressure was not
mounted on any official. That is the difference between the previous
and present regimes,” sources added.
However when contacted Prof. G. L. Peiris, former Minister of External
Affairs during Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, to find out as to why such a
staggering amount of money was allocated for Shiranthi Rajapaksa’s tour,
Prof. Peiris said that it is decided not by the subject minister but by
the relevant officers in the Ministry. “Once the allocation is decided,
it goes to the Ministry Secretary who is the Chief Accounting Officer
for his approval. Without his approval, the Ministry cannot release the
funds for any purpose,” Prof. Peiris said.
With regard to the accommodations provided for the former First Lady at
the luxurious Four Seasons Hotel George V, Prof. Peiris said the hotels
for accommodation are not selected by the visiting delegation but by the
protocol division of the Ministry. “If a President is touring a foreign
country, he has to meet his counterparts and other high-level
delegations. So he has to stay in a suite in one of the best hotels.
This does not apply for the delegation members. They can stay in other
hotels. In regard to the former First Lady’s tour also, the protocol
division of the External Affairs Ministry should have arranged the
accommodation, the vehicles to be used and even the domestic flights.
Once the details of her visit are informed to the Ministry, everything
is looked after by these officials but not on the directives of Mrs.
Rajapaksa,” Prof. Peiris claimed.
When asked as to why the External Affairs Ministry spent for the
domestic air tickets from Paris to Lourdes, which was not official but
merely a religious tour, Prof. Peiris said that it was a minor matter
comparing to the frauds that are taking place now under the good
governance administration. “Spending a few Euros comparing to the
millions of rupee frauds that are now taking place, is a minor matter,”
Prof. Peiris added.
Prof. Peiris further said that taking one or two trustworthy friends or
close family members with the First Lady is nothing new as all First
Ladies in other countries too travel with their trusted ones rather than
going all alone.
When asked whether it was Presidential Secretariat or the External
Affairs Ministry that paid the air fare from Colombo to Paris for the
entourage, Prof Peiris said it does not matter who paid for the tickets
as it is passed from the parliament. “Once the vote is passed in the
parliament for these expenses, it does not matter from which institution
it goes as this is government funds,” he said.