Is The Board Of Directors Of SriLankan Airlines As Guilty As The Chairman
It has been a few weeks now since we highlighted the blatant disregard and violation of procedures at Sri Lankan Airlines by the Chairman of Sri Lankan Airlines, Nishantha Wickremasinghe. He was responsible for awarding the contract for the supply of Wine and Champagnes which is valued at approximately US$ 750,000 annually and also gave away the entire supply and management of the Sri Lanka Airlines in-flight duty free sales program valued at US$ 7 million annually to one and the same company, namely Phoenix Rising Venture now called Duty Free Partners.
In effect, the Chairman with his actions has done away with tender procedures for selecting suppliers and/or vendors, and instead on his own selected the Company (as admitted by him in a previous interview with this newspaper), owned and managed by Mr. Dilan Wirasinghe from Canada and Mr. Raju Chandirum from Sri Lanka respectively.
We also brought out to the public domain the large sum of foreign exchange that was brought in by his son (as admitted by him) which is tantamount to smuggling of foreign exchange to the Country. We also inquired for details of the Rolex Watch he had in his possession.
Nishantha Wickremasinghe
To date the Government has not taken any action to either investigate or to take corrective measures to rectify these irregular incidents of gross misconduct by the Chairman. Also what action has been taken to inquire into the smuggling of the foreign exchange and to check on the bona fides of the Rolex Watch?
Why would a Chairman take a personal interest to select a company to award the business of over US$ 8 Million annually?
How can an eminent Board of Directors allow the Chairman to push through the Board two large supply contracts to Phoenix Rising Ventures (Duty Free Partners) without having any proper evaluation and tender procedure?
The Board of Directors have a responsibility and fiduciary duty to look after the interests of the Airline and to ensure that no misappropriation corruption or bribery is taking place. However, if the Board is also responsible for approving the proposals put forward by the Chairman for the appointment of this Company without any tender procedures, then the Board of Directors also stand guilty for having approved these contracts.
Is it that the Board of SriLankan Airlines cannot stand up to the Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe (Brother of the First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa) because of this very connection?
If indeed that is the case the Board should resign. But then resignations in this country are not only hard to come by but as impossible as asking a blind man to describe colour.
What can be concluded out of this entire saga is that the Board of Directors are as guilty for aiding and abetting in approving these contracts by bypassing established Company tender procedures. No matter how good it may be the Board will not know if there were any better offers that may have been possible as a tender was not called for either of these contracts.
The issue is this. Those Sri Lankans who have had experience with government appointed ‘Competent Authorities’ who were justly called ‘Incompetent Authorities” in the days of nationalisation under socialist regimes will recall with much horror, how once prosperous private enterprises such as the plantations were reduced to black holes of the economy sucking up public funds under these government commissars. The pundits of the Rajapaksa regime have obviously not read history and want to repeat the blunders at great cost to the country.
The pathetic state which Sri Lanka Cricket had descended to from being the World Champion is revealed in its financial record having incurred a loss of Rs. 7 billion. Queries by the Auditor General have gone unanswered and cricket officials had no clue how to answer them! Another, case in point.
This is the alarming state of public administration in the country. Nishantha Wickremesinghe boasts that he has an enviable track record in the Plantation Sector. He continues to function as Director at Finlays Group of Companies.
Clearly, President Rajapaksa has not only resorted to recruitment of his relatives to state entities but also hired incompetent private sector rogues who have succeeded in creeping into places quite foreign to them and as a result have cost this country billions not of rupees but of dollars!
It is obvious that this so called chairman is a relation of MR and it is the favorite way of selecting of rouges to the responsible posts by MR & Co. However, it is the responsibility of the Opposition to take legal action against these rouges immediately. Where is Sajith who is barking always?
President Mahind Rajapakasa has dismissed Sri lankan Airline Chairman promptly.
With Meress Jayaseelan and Seanka Fernando are culprits in working execatives in Sri Lankan head office.These two offices are parasities in head office in Sri Lanka airline offices.
Under the cloak of anonymity Please do not insult long standing SriLankan employee like Senaka Fernando who everyone in aviation and travel trade knows to be an officer with unquestionable integrity. He is due to retire next month and at the moment recuperating from bypass surgery. Let the man be in peace and not drag him into these without any cause. Dananjaya, less hate please
Dear Dananjaya,
Please don’t point fingers at SriLankan employees. Mr Senaka and Mr Jayaseelan are well reputed employees in the industry. They may have their own drawbacks. However, they have done their utmost to the airline.
I had the opportunity to work very closely with these people for years including Mr.Manoj. These people know every corner of the airline; they work day night without claiming a single cent.
They are the people who think that every employee should come up the ladder while they are being oppressed by the government. May God Bless all of them.
i am not sure about JAYASEELAN and his past when EMIRATES/UL time and his university back in JAFFNA but as fas as SENAKA FERNANDO is concern he deserves decent retiment for his long standing carrier at UL, however entire airline now runs with an unethical manner its nothing to do with MAHINDA RAJAPAKSE its the top people (ceo/chairman/aviation minister..etc) who have very LESS EDUCATION in the world airline indsutry over estimate at every stage of srilankan airlines during last few years after EMIRATES withdrawn the deal, rapid expansion of airline and staffing levels its the mani concern (look at the LON station more than 5 managers including DIRECTOR sales EU)of the at the entire airline, succsessful airlines such as SQ/QATAR/ETIHAD etc wouldnot invest and appoint people unnesseraly like srilankan dose , its only one issue there are many hidden agendas which airline nose drive.
Why only having a go at the Chairman? why not investigate, the reason why they out sourced the internet booking department, with Rs.800 laks revenue a month and why sri lankan staff are training those jokers recommended by the CEO. they get a whooping Rs.7-8 million commisssion a amonth!
Also Leader should understand that the trend in the country is this,so is the rest of the companies run by them.There is a lot of people who die silently, in this company.
I was a passenger recently on Sri Lankan airlines from Dubai to Colombo and all i can say is that the standard is as low as a budget air line or worse.Mihin Lanka seems better than Sri Lankan now. Had delays more than one hour and there were no control of the air condition and there’s no on board entertainment. Also the choice of food was pathetic.
It seems that the situation is going to get worst in the future.
God save Sri Lankan
I totally agree with you Charles – this is not an airline it is a bullock cart which has wings and going in the air.
I hear things are improving in fact you may order bit of wacky-baccy if a certain Air hostess or her Purser boy friend is on board.
So much is going around this subject pointing finger at one person, brother of First Lady in-law of President, is this for this reasons the immigration, customs and other authorities is not taking any action?? If a poor man does a small offence, even unintentionally, he will be taken for questioning and jailed.
So true mohamed he can’t even get a Rolex from his son without questions been asked.
Lost paradise. Lost Airline
This is the result of nepotism, and unqualified crooks being appointed to high positions in the government and national corporations. This is an example of what is going on in our country, because near and dear ones of the Rajapaksa family have strategically been put in lucrative positions. This is shameful, and only the tip of the iceberg. We can only imagine how other institutions are being run, and how much corruption goes on, while we are robbed blind.
Germany´s former president was resigned because just not revealiing what he may have previously been involved in. It took just 3 months since the incident was criticized as he could have revealed to the nation – but our leaders do support corrupted incident even not investigating them. People of the country is apathetic as never before in the history. So whom to blame else than to majority folks of the country.
The Chairman is the brother-in-law of our President. He has every right under the family rule to appoint whoever he likes. Nobody can challenge his action as he is above the law. In other words families are simply allowed to mis-use public money. Our oppostion is so waek and they do nothing nowadays apart blaming each other..
Did you read what the What the President says. to watch out for malpractices in development activities” Daily Mirror 12th Aug”while he appoints crooked individuals,
drug dealers , Rapists and criminals to his ministry and positions in the government.. Why doesnt he start watching out for Malpractiices that are blatantly carried out by some members of his family. Like his brother in law,Who among other malpractices was caught hoarding foreign Exchange. Is this not blatant nepotism which this president practices as a virtue.. And is this man above the law of the land.. Dont please preach to people if you dont practice what you preach. We are not all bloody fools in this country
but the thing is whatever being said and done by you guys, the majority folks seem to be bending their heads to ape raja.. even today, I was attacked being opossed whether our leaders are at all hearted with what they have been performing. Answer was alone anhiliation of ltters within lanka is an indicator to measure his wholeheartedness. I think our people mix everything not respecting the facts as they really are.
Sin!!!!! Do not blame relation of MR or First lady. They have done lots of good to Petroleum Coop & now doing for Sri Lankan Air. God save them to do more service to ruin the country.
Our airlines are going from bad to worse. Mihin air is a joke and now Sri Lankan is going down the drain too. Last time I was travelling from London to Colombo on Sri Lankan, my video panel didn’t work and they couldn’t get it fixed for the whole duration of the flight.In addition to that the seat was wobbly – don’t they check and repair those before the flight? I see the result in their disappointing patronage. Despite been the semi-peak season, that flight was not even half-full. I think airlines like Emirates, Gulf and Etihad are taking away all our money. Shame!
the enemies of s.l. are not the tamils,india,usa,or the developed world.the enemies of s.l. are the sinhale people.80 p.c. of the s.l.ans are governed by corupted criminell political tugs,helped by the a.h.ole s.l.ans.today it is getting worse,and whom do i blame,this government and specially the president.i supported him in my small way,now i regret.
Ruining a national Treasure.
These thick skinned shameless creatures, do they have a conscion or are they from the gutters ??
President’s helplessness is clearly evidently & transparent.
What a come down. This is not what the people expected of him.
Its not too late. Mr. President put that foot of yours down hard on such creatures.
Rule with the rule of law.
MR is a great ruler and motherland lover in Sri lanka. but he will have to face the consequences because of the first ladies relations. one ruined petroleum another air lanka as said why opposition so silent? on these type of corruption . My
question also, where is HAMBANTHOTA SAJITH???
This is ridiculous ! People are hoodwinked while MR is riding the War win wave. How long will it take for the simple village person to understand all these happenings. They do not care as long as they see new roads, ports, stadiums, etc are built and they think that is development. They never think that behind all these are corruptions, bribes and commissions taken by the politicos and relatives. These corrupt leaders will end up billionaires and with so much power that nothing can be done against them ever. This is historical. Reminds me of the corrupt Medici family of Florence, Italy who were corrupt up to the brim and stayed in power with their wealth and power for 800 years! Is that what our President is planning for his relatives?