Private Sector Business Leaders On Joy Ride To New York
- Government spends millions on country’s richest businessmen
By Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema
The jumbo Sri Lankan delegation – an estimated 110 — that traveled to New York to attend the UN General Assembly, included ten top businessmen from the country’s private sector – who were part of the Presidential delegation, all at public expense. For the first time in the country’s history the government paid for the air tickets, hotel rooms etc. for the business leaders. On earlier visits the businessmen paid for their own expenses.
The man behind this wastage of public funds is the infamous Coordinating Secretary to the President, Sajin Vass Gunewardene who is well known for his extravagant life style at public expense. Vass Gunewardene now a member of parliament, is held responsible for the mammoth Rs. 3 billion loss endured by Mihin Air.
The President’s Coordinating Secretary was in New York in the first week of September to organise the President’s trip. Breaking all regulations for such visits, Vass Gunewardene ordered the Foreign Ministry to pay all ‘extras’ such as room service and laundry. He went further and provided cell phones with IDD facilities to all 110 delegates.
He ordered 40 limousines for the delegation but some of the private sector businessmen who were told that they have been provided with vehicles never saw them.
The Sri Lankan mission in New York is buzzing with gossip as to who collected the hundreds of thousands of dollars in kick-backs from the service providers.
Among the key businessmen who accompanied President Mahinda Rajapaksa in the government delegation to the UN were Mano Selvanathan, Susantha Ratnayake, Noel Selvanayagam, W.K.H. Wegapitiya, Dhammika Perera, Sanjeewa Wickramanayake, Dr. S. Selliah and Ashrof Omar.
CEO of the multi million dollar Brandix group Ashrof Omar, when contacted by The Sunday Leader confirmed his visit to New York was on a government invitation and said his visit was sponsored by the state.
He said the delegates stayed in New York for about five to six days at the Waldorf Astoria.
Seventy rooms were booked at US$ 472 per night for five days at the Waldorf Astoria at a total cost of US$ 165,200. This was apart from the President’s suite which cost US $ 1000 per night.
Omar said the businessmen attended two sessions at the UN – the session on the Millennium Development Goals and the General Assembly.
Director, Carson Cumberbatch PLC, Mano Selvanathan also confirmed to The Sunday Leader that he visited New York as part of the government delegation. Pressed if he had paid the bill for his five-day stay at the Waldorf Astoria, Selvanathan said he did not know. “I do not know,” he said, maintaining he booked out of the luxury New York hotel unaware who was meeting his bill.
When asked who paid for his airfare to New York, he said he made the reservation for his air travel and is still awaiting the voucher. However The Sunday Leader can confirm that all of Mano Selvanathan’s expenses including the air ticket was paid by public funds.
Several attempts to contact President, Senok Group, Noel Selvanayagam failed. Repeated attempts by us to get his response proved futile as he ignored all messages left by The Sunday Leader.
Selvanayagam in addition to accompanying the President to New York was also part of his private entourage to Germany and Houston. The air tickets, hotel expenses and all other extras such as laundry room service were paid by the State. Both the visit to Germany and Houston were billed as private visits. While there is no clear explanation as to why the President visited Germany he had visited Houston to meet his brother Dudley. In fact the only brother who does not hold a senior government post in his administration.
Chairman, John Keells Holdings, Susantha Ratnayake said he paid for his own air fare to and from New York. He admitted however that his hotel bill had been met by the State. “When I tried to pay the bill I was told my room was being met as part of a master bill,” he said.
Group Chairman, Laugfs, Wegapitiya and former Chairman of the Board of Investments (BoI) and businessman, Dhammika Perera were not available for comment as they are yet overseas and expected to return to the country only this week.
The Sunday Leader was also unable to contact CEO/MD, E-Wis, Sanjeewa Wickramanayake and Deputy Chairman, Lanka Walltiles Limited, Dr. Sellaiah.
All the businessman were flown on Business Class. A return air ticket on Emirates Airlines Colombo – New York is Rs. 425,200.
Shameless people. This is the Sri Lankan way , from politicians to business leaders robbing the SL people left and right.
Well, it’s simple. Just stop buying or engaging in business with these companies. And make sure you show this article to others you know and ask them to stop engaging in business with these companies. It will not be long before these “business” people find out crooked business practices can have unhealthy consequences.
For the government ministers and employees… well, you can collect these paper clippings and save them until the next election and may be use them to remind people what when on in the past. You know the media will never bring these up during the election time; so may we the people of the country can take an active role in reminding the people of past deeds of politicians (with facts).
@sarath
wat crap r u saying?
damika perera is owner of commercial bank,
largest bank in country.
all others dont sell things like maliban biscuit to general public.
so dude, u cant do anything about it.
u dont have the power.
u only have the power to change this governement if u dont like, that too every five years.
MR is a coward. He knows that he will stand like a joker in US. So he took 110 members and it is easy for him to hide himself among them.
I agree with you Nisha 100%
This could be one of the greatest robberies of public funds.
This ammount is 30% of the health budget for more than 20 million citizens
This is their plight- ’20 essential medicines for cancer in short supply’
-No surgery at National hospital due to shortage of medicine and equipment’
-’Health employees over time not paid’
-’Hospital food and medicine supplies not paid for’
-’Blood test at Comobo hospitals at stanstill for lack of chemicals’
This ammount is also about 45% of education budget for millions of kids.
BUT WHO CARES!!! No one from this elite uses govt. hospitals or govt. schools !
Plundering of the contry by MR and the gang is the next clamity after the LTTE !!!!!!!
Hello Don,
Thanks for reminding us and putting a value and comparison to this colossal waste of our country’s funds..
MR and his goons/rogues are now a bigger threat to us than the LTTE.
LTTE was not with the Govt ..so we thought
MR is from the Govt, but a bigger rogue and threat than what mankind has ever witnessed….Shameless and the worst we have ever experienced in our precious Sri Lanka,
at least LTTE was fighting for a just cause, Piraba was honest to his people, died like a hero for his people, Unlike MR. killing us to feed his family.
Great news. While many Sri Lankans exist on pol sambol and rice, mothers are throwing their children from bridges, and our maids are getting raped for $100 per month in the Middle East, this is how MR and his gang spend our money.
MR is spending the money earn by house maids in the middle east and far east. Not that he even earn a cent yet.
first of all, we should stop sending maids to middle east.
should try to find jobs for them in sri lanka.
we dont wanna be a country who export maids for the world.
we should become the country, where maids from other country come n try to find job
Power and Money talks. Dear HE MR – please don;t do this – put the money into development, You don’t have to please all these goones- we have given all the powers you need to put the country in on fast track towards development, we are in a :” make or break situation”. It’s all in your hands- May the Triple Gem guide you in the right direction
There are thouaands of poor people who do’t have basic amenities like shelter, pipe born water etc but the Government is wasting billions of rupees by taking top class businessmen who can easily afford with their own money. This is appaling.
In the not too distant past we had Gentlemen at the helm of some of the top companies in SL.
Now they are a shameless bunch of yes men. These men are not fit enough to hold a decent conversation, leave alone making economic decisions on behalf of a company or a country.
A true corporate professional would most politely turn down any state invitation, as it really has nothing to do with the operation of the individuals company.
All the individuals named in this article are only looking for personal gain. They have no real business ethics or morals. We have to make a note of these names, as when the tide turns (which it will) we will have investigate these individuals to ascertain the “real” benefits they have been receiving.
Hello people; you had the opportunity to vote this man out but; blew it good and proper. Now pay the price. This is just the begining.
When Oh when can we ever’ proudly say we are Sri Lankans.
Now its time to change the name of the country from SRI LANKA to RAJAPAKSALANTHAYA and MR can go round the country and tell the village folks that RAJAPAKSALANTHAYA is only next to INGALANTHAYA.
The Next SLogan for the elections.(Like the 18th amendment)
A simpler and more apt name that has already been thought of for this country. It is MEE-Lanka (Foreigners: this means we are a land of buffaloes).
And the voters in that country frequently utter a cry that sounds like: Moooooooooooooooo!
omg…its a good one buddy
you need to spend money to make money.
[you need to spend money to make money]
Oh yeah ? Are we dealing with the stock market or impoverished Sri Lanka?.
Argos, spend or even better invest yes, but not waste. There is a huge difference my friend.
Don’t blame the business people. If they want to do a business trip they can afford it The problem is with the Government. Some one made money that’s the bottom line
This confirms how cheap our so called business leaders are and in this case, it only takes a free ride to NY to buy them over by MR. Some need titles some need free rides so MR could continue screwing the country.
When a kilo of flour rises by Rs.8 over-night, people struggle to buy their bread for breakfast and these people lavishly spending public money.
Good for you stupid Sri Lankans who voted this government. Serves you right !!!!! If there is an election tomorrow, they will go an vote them again. That’s how foolish people are. Serves you just right !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They have to increase prices of bread and floor to cover part of these wasteful expenses by the President and his private sector friends for their trips to New York. One of the private sector friends in this trip was convicted by the Supreme Court for corruption recently.
You are very correct. Lankawe inna modayo hadanna baha. When there are more uneducated people in SL the Rajapaksa regime is happy. Namal dan inadalama raja wenna hadanawa. Balamuko mokada wenne kiyala. RAJAKAM KALATH KALAKAM PALADE.
What a crude dislplay of extravagance, greed, and fleecing of the country. Mahinda has no clue about running the country and keeping a tight reign on extravagance by his family and parasites around him. People should not get impressed by new harbours and bridges, it just means someone in the Rajapaska regime is getting rich. Medicines for cancer patients are not available, and Mahinda should perhaps think of using his Mihin air planes, and getting them down for children who are suffering and dying, instead of partying in New York.
Jayawewa…!we want you to enjoy where ever you go whatever you do… that’s why we voted you… Suba Anagathayak..!!!
No problem, with all the IMF and other loans we are a rich country at the moment, may be a few are starving but it is their fault for not getting into the band wagon of the regime. Let the following generations figure out how to settle these vast loans, at the moment let ht regime supporters take full and undue advantage of all these monies made available to Sri Lanka
I am wondering if this money belongs to a private company or private citizen,wil they spend like this? only public money can be spend like this shame on you Mr president. if this money spent by a CEO of a fortune 500 company he or she would have been fired from that possition..
Vass Gunewardene this is daylight roberry. you are not fit to be in the parliment. will you resign? if you have shame yourself. once you fool me with mihin air Shame on you. now you fooled us whole sri lankans, shame on us .
How nicely the president wasting our public money? Those who voted this man knowing the facts about tsunami funds, should be killed in public, bloody traitors. We are in need of a geniune man like SF as the president. That will not be too long. Stand up to kick rajapassa family away in the near future.
A country gets the leaders they deserve. It is the electorate that is to be blamed
Can I ask all of you guy’s what have you done to improve the countries economy??????? It is the BEST UNGA visit ever A Sri Lankan President had, 30 Travel Co’s are visiting Sri Lanka study the country tourisam… Wall |Street invited Presiendt to talk his to team of editor’s on SL success… This was accopmanies buy SL Businessman…. ONLY President to get invitiation to speak to Harvard university for the second time…..
President your H.E. you are the BEST
Sisila,
Maybe they wanted to know the tricks on how to rob the country in the best possible manner. You seem to be represent the rouge administration and living on others sweat, like your master. Do not forget that no foreign leaders do like to meet this rouge and its only the ones on the axsis of evil and those that do not value human rights and have no dignity that meet your master. So make the best when the sun shines….
Sisila, Harvard is a very broad term. They have all kind of socities and it all depends on which one of them invited him or he got himslef invited to. If it all elevates the country I am with you. Lets wait and see for the enxt 8 years. We will have some propsering. Will majority of us will ? Time will tell.
Without wasting a fortune MR could have asked those 10 business guys to sponser the govt personals, certainly not 110 though (you could cut it down easily between 20 & 30).
This socialism talks national dress etc are purely to show the patriotism and for a ride only but having a lavish life otherwise eh…….?
MAHATH-HORU, ALL OF THESE CAPTAINS OF INDUSTRY: Mano Selvanathan, Susantha Ratnayake, Noel Selvanayagam, W.K.H. Wegapitiya, Dhammika Perera, Sanjeewa Wickramanayake, Dr. S. Selliah and Ashrof Omar
SHAME ON YOU, TO GET FREE JOY RIDES ON THE BACK OF POOR PEOPLE. SHAME, SHAME, SHAME!!!
This is outright plunder of the tax payers by so-called businessmen. What development can we expect from these private sector bandits who rob the poor taxpayers. This is crony capitalism the stage of capitalism we are now in. Some organization should note the names of these robbers for eventual recovery from them when the day of judgment comes as for Sinawatra of Thailand and the Marcoses in Philippines.
Some of these business leaders are at the forfront of the news accusing the government of not doing a proper job. They always pose as being very concerned about the mother country and try to point the finger at the politicians for all that is wrong in the country. But they conveniently forget all this when the President invites them to go on joy rides at public expense. These businessmen are an buch of SHAMELESS people. they tag along with any dirty politicians like leeches to get benefits. Shame on you
Now the prices have come down to the current rates which are correct. All diplomats stay at This Hotel. Security, easy access and away from other activities in a big city are some of the reasons. However that 40 limo theory is a little too exagerated. I saw some diplomats using cars given by afluent SriLankans in NYC too.
Hon President as the Minister of Finance must clear this very serious allegations.
well unfortunately how many ordinary citizens will read this column, only english reading people will know and what would be the percentage of them, no wonder they get morethan 60% votes?? because more than 60% in this country don’t read and write in english???
You first said the it was the Govt Minister & MPs & Rajapakse relatives, now came up with new evidence. Where do you stand?
well, well, people of sri lanka, you guys voted for this clown, so bear the burden now, did you guys knw that sri lanka is already a bankrupt ( financially) state, well, wait and see, wait and see, how the masses suffer, Vass G, the biggest idiot on planet earth.
correct, but it was people who eat pol samball & rice who gave the mandate for this government. So let them suffer & die. Its good that SL get rid of middle & lower class idiots.
Idi Amin, Papa Doc , Baby Doc did similar trips and wasted huge sums of money. The likes of Sajin Vaas Gunawardane are a very bad influence and given a free hand can run amok as he did in N.Y in September. However, the fault lies in President MR for indulging in this type of extravagance
I wonder how many really went back to Sri Lanka not stayed here in the US illegally. It happens all the time. I am a US citizen and regularly meet this type of Sri Lankans at public functions ( at the buddhist temple at SL embassy functions etc.) who escape musical groups, dance groups etc that come to US for shows. These people inccur no expenses and no shame.
In the meantime the middle class and poor people are suffering. MR and his people will burn in hell for this type of things. After all there are karma people.
So what is wrong in taking the cream of the business world as guests of the government, even at the expense of public money. They have contributed heavily for the election campaigns where the public elected the present government. So it is the wish of the public of this country that government looks after the all the people who worked to bring the peoples government to power.
why they have to fly on Emirates?don’t we have our own Air Line called Sri LAnkan Air Line?What happen to that? counrty is already backtrupt !!!! what else u expect from these people.They worship this leader to get something what else.
this is a family business!!!!
Fools in Srilanka “Kapana”…
I don’t think it is the fault of these business people. Of course they had the moral right to pay the bills by themselves. But it is the people who manage the public funds , in other words the government who is fully responsible for this. This is how the government gives kickbacks for sponsoring them during election.
This would never happen in my western country where I live, which is why we have the highest growth rate of any developed country in the world. You Sri Lankans are poor and continue to live a deluded poverty stricken lifestyle in colombo buried in debt, but showing off with borrowed money because of the corrupt wastage.
‘What do u mean WE having highest growth rate’? It must be corrected as ‘they (whatever the european country that u live as a refugee) are having highest growth rate’. For them you are a assylum seeker or a refugee and a black and a poor asian.
I dont support this monster government but you sound like you have got white skin now.
People in SL are trying to migragte to Bangadesh and Pakistan as the economies in these countries are better than SL. What a shame SL is getting poorer and poorer by the day. The colombo 7 people are struggling for a meal.