SPOTLIGHT

Missing millions and the drama of ministers’ ‘catchers’

By  Dilrukshi Handunnetti

The Ministers’ Private Secretaries Association (MPSA) formed last year by Sudath Chandrasekera, the ambitious Private Secretary to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, has come under the microscopic gaze with allegations ranging from misappropriation of Rs. 9 million to corruption and abuse of power being levelled against it while an angry Premier has ordered its dissolution.

With allegations against the association piling up and an audit inquiry underway, Sudath Chandrasekera who founded the organisation that brought in 256 secretaries from all ministries together last year, added to the drama by stepping down three weeks ago from the presidency while stoically defending himself and blaming the bad publicity on an overt attempt to malign and discredit him.

A much embarrassed Wickremesinghe at the pre-cabinet meeting this week announced that in earlier instances, ‘secretaries were affected by the misconduct of ministers, but now the positions were so drastically reversed that the ministers were being affected by the misconduct of their secretaries.’

Missing millions

The key allegation in the controversy that surrounds the MPSA and Navoda Lanka is the strange disappearance of Rs. 9 million, raised at fund raising exhibitions and carnivals held in Polonnaruwa and Kotte last December. Deepening the controversy, Chandrasekera asserts that the profit yielded was only a modest Rs. 2.2 million and not a cent more. As the missing millions began making headlines, Chandrasekera swiftly removed himself from the office of president, blaming it on the special committee handling finances and the treasurer responsible for the controversy.

“What have I done? I never handled the money part of it,” he says.

Chandrasekera resigned three weeks ago leaving the association in dire need of someone to take charge of the situation. The membership however refused to accept the resignation. “How could he leave before the mess is cleared? He created this and he has to clear it,” claims secretaries who are annoyed by his sudden departure.

In this backdrop, an angry Wickremesinghe has demanded the immediate dissolution of the discredited association, to hand over the premises where the MPSA headquarters are housed at and the return of a large luxury bus used by Navoda Lanka, originally used by Wickremesinghe during election campaigns.

Authoritative sources said that the Premier, who has repeatedly opposed the very formation of ‘this too high profile’ association was taken unawares by the entire episode. Nobody seems to know on what basis a plush bungalow down Bauddhaloka Mawatha was released for the MPSA while some Ministers like Dr. Rajitha Senaratne have not yet been provided with an official residence. Senaratne occupies a third floor flat at Summit Flats.

According to a senior government official, Navoda Lanka Yuga Mehewara Bureau, an affiliate of the MPSA was formed for specific fund raising purposes alone and shared the MPSA bank account to which they debited their income. The bus, it is learnt is privately owned and was parked at Sirikotha, the UNF headquarters, once the election campaign was completed. Thereafter, upon a request by the secretaries, the bus has been temporarily released for the use of MPSA and Navoda Lanka.

Competition for top post

However, Chandrasekera sympathisers claim that the association was doing well, which made many people vie for the top post which has finally destroyed the very movement.

“There are too many vying for the top slot even now, hence our request to retain Chandrasekera who was a successful president. We made money, we took our carnivals and exhibitions to the people and made sure that they were a success. Chandrasekera made these things possible, and suddenly, many are gunning for him,” they claimed.

However, his detractors have a different story to tell. They allege that the Colombo quarters of the association has been misused often times with the premises being a meeting point for paramours and a fully fledged bar was set up to ensure that the secretaries remained in high spirits at any time of the day.

“It was used for purposes that were well beyond what is legal and ethical,” alleged one member, who felt that Chandrasekera and a selected few were misusing government property.

Trouble began in the association when the accounts of the Polonnaruwa carnival organised by Navoda Lanka became highly questionable. According to the four paged balance sheet that failed to spell out details, the total expenditure amounted to Rs. 6,088,790.24 while the income amounted to Rs. 5,623,700.75

The above details, according to the members of the association remain highly questionable and unacceptable. What made it worse is the announcement that the MPSA had no funds, though there has been lavish spending and liberal issuing of cheques to meet various bills.

“We were spending money that did not exist,” claimed one official who says that it was most disgusting to find out that the Premier’s Private Secretary himself could allegedly be involved in such corrupt activity. “And then he removes himself and tries to clear himself by blaming the finance committee and the poor treasurer,” he told The Sunday Leader.

However, MPSA Treasurer, P. Samarasinghe who is private secretary to the deputy health minister, went on record last week claiming that he signed all cheques under Chandrasekera’s instructions only.

It has transpired that cash cheques have been drawn in favour of individuals, much against the established practices upon the association president’s instructions, despite the coffers being empty. “We shouldn’t have tried to scrape the barrel, when there was nothing there,” a secretary to a non-cabinet minister requesting anonymity said.

Despite his zeal, Sudath Chandrasekera, the former Personal Security Officer (PSO) of Wickremesinghe who was later elevated to the position of Wickremesinghe’s Private Secretary and a highly powerful personality in the UNP’s inner circle, says that the post was more or less thrust upon him.

“I had no interest in heading it, though I liked the concept. I was in Jaffna when the association appointed me as president,” he claims.

As the controversy brew, a special AGM was held on Tuesday, February 25 that turned the final leaf of the brief chapter. Both Chandrasekera and Treasurer Samarasinghe were conspicuous by their absence. As there was nobody to chair the meeting, K. P. Dayaratne from the Prime Minister’s office chaired the meeting. Noting the absence of the treasurer, he had called Samarasinghe and requested his presence as queries were being raised on the allegation of misappropriation.

This ensured more friction, and some Chandrasekera sympathisers claim that he had no business to do that. “The meeting should have been called off, as we have not accepted the president’s resignation, and as such, he was still needed to chair the meeting,” they claim.

Not responsible anymore

An official of the Navoda Lanka told The Sunday Leader that an enormous number of cash cheques have been drawn by the MPSA, and all they needed was some clarifications from the top.

“There has been no financial bungling. Theories have been created to attack a dynamic president,” some defended.

MPSA Secretary, Udaya Rupasinghe, who is Private Secretary to Deputy Minister Navin Dissanayake was unavailable for comment as he was touring Nuwara Eliya when this newspaper went to press.

The core issue at the AGM was the presentation of accounts by the treasurer that was by no means a detailed account. Instead, a four paged document was submitted on the Navoda carnival held in Polonnaruwa, which only disclosed principle categories of expenditure and income.

“This was no balance sheet at all. It made no sense and we did not know the exact expenditure incurred or the profits made. We did not know who donated how much and how we spent the money exactly,” some unhappy with the entire episode said. While Chandrasekera claims that the Polonnaruwa show made a net profit of Rs. 2.2 million, there are those who allege that Rs. 11 million was raised through undisclosed people in the final accounts.

That leads to the vital question of the missing Rs. 9 million.

 The beleaguered president claims that he no longer could be held responsible for all the drama that followed. “The truth is that I am out. Now I cannot clean the deck for others. A 21-member committee handles finances with the ultimate responsibility lying with the treasurer. It is a damning effort to discredit me,” says Chandrasekera who claims to be a man who has been much wronged.

 Claims and counter claims

And that’s the balance sheet of a private secretary of a premier who came into office pledging a clean and transparent government. If that’s the example set by the private secretary, who heads the very association that brings his peers together for the country’s benefit so to say, what needs to be said about the rest? Pursuing a peace goal, but urgently cleaning the stables should also become one of Wickremesinghe’s high priorities if the Chandrasekera episode proves anything at all.

Chandrasekera defends himself:

The founder President of the MPSA, Sudath Chandrasekera invited a complete probe into the Navoda episode and said his hands were untainted.

Chandrasekera who resigned three weeks ago from the MPSA presidency claimed that he was not passing the buck when financial mismanagement was being disclosed, but had simply completed his term.

“It is my prerogative to leave when I choose,” he said.

When queried as to why he did not call for an annual general meeting to replace the president, he said that secretaries were supportive of him and wanted to stay on, though his decision remained unaltered. He said it was up to the MPSA to find a replacement as he has already vacated the post due to personal reasons coupled with the completion of his term of one year. 

MPSA’s position:

The association, ambitiously formed in the afterglow of the UNF’s election victory in 2001 brought together 256 private secretaries, co-ordinating secretaries, information secretaries and public relations officers of cabinet, non-cabinet and deputy ministers. 

The association also created Navoda Lanka, an offshoot responsible for fund raising activities and other events such as carnivals, etc.

Verdict:

While claims and counter claims are being made, Prime Minister Wickremesinghe has ordered the immediate dissolution of the association and called for an immediate audit report.

While the Premier claims that he has already ordered the dissolution, Chandrasekera claims that no written directive has been so far issued in this regard, but defended himself by saying that as the former president, such matters no longer involved him.

The bottom line is, something very rotten has gone on in the association formed by the loyalists close to those in high places.

Now if those trusted by the various ministers would have acted in this manner, then what can the public expect from this government, is a question that begs answers.

And unless some heads roll after an impartial inquiry, it is the Prime Minister and his cabinet of ministers that will be tainted in the public eye.

PM’s visit to India generates much interest

With emphasis falling on strengthening bilateral relations between India and Sri Lanka, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe’s recent visit to India generated much interest on the government’s peace initiative and the possible role India could play to make the process a success.

Wickremesinghe, on his third official visit to India since assuming office as Prime Minister 14 months ago, arrived in at an interesting time. The combined effect of cricket hype and election fever in four Indian states ensured national focus could not be diverted anywhere else. His presence in New Delhi however evoked significant interest, especially in a backdrop when the truce between the Sri Lankan government and the LTTE had reached the one year mark.

The skeptics needed to know whether the truce would hold any further while many wished to know how the parties worked out an arrangement that had lasted for 12 months.

The Premier who undertook the visit to deliver the keynote address at the inauguration ceremony of the second conclave organised by India Today, evoked much political interest and many questioned him about the validity of third party intervention to an internal conflict and whether risks did not overshadow the possibilities of peace.

Wickremesinghe was full of praise for India in pursuing the goal of becoming a global economic giant, and noted that despite ethnic strife that has created tensions from time to time, the relationship between the two countries remained strong.

“It is that undeniable heritage that links these two lands,” he said in his keynote delivery at the conclave.

Assessing his role at a crucial moment in politics, Wickremesinghe said that though there seemed to be light at the end of the tunnel, there was no foolproof method and that the resolution of the conflict was only part of the solution. “It is only half of the battle. I need to ensure a good future for our idealistic youth who have been repeatedly battered by the conflict and discrimination,” he stressed.

Selling the peace process

The oft-repeated question at the conclave was how he sold a peace process that was not understood by the public and condemned by a President in opposition. Many wished to know how much of the process was explained to the public and how it was packaged.

Explaining that peace was never a one way street, he said that there could not be a peace process worked out in isolation, hence the involvement of the people.

“It has happened before all over the world. Peace has to be appreciated and understood by the people, for this effort is for everyone’s benefit,” Wickremesinghe told the gathering.

One of the key elements of the current peace process, he stressed was the focus on humanitarian issues. That was a serious departure from previous peace dialogues, which was reciprocated by the LTTE by a unilateral declaration of a ceasefire which culminated in the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the parties in conflict.

“In this type of complex conflict, there is no way we can tackle core issues like the unit of devolution in the first flush of a truce. The platform has to be created as it has been over a period of one year. The concentration fell on minimising the suffering of the north-east civilian population,” he said.

Wickremesinghe was quite clear on the need to have the dialogue work, and emphasised that he could not have done it alone sans the useful contributions of the international community. In addition, the Premier explained that the day a final solution is ready to be placed in parliament for legislative sanction, it would be imperative to have the support of the opposition.

“A solution to any problem should have a bipartisan approach. Or else, they crash at the very first instance of dissent,” he noted.

When queried whether he had misgivings about having to trust the Tigers, he said that a problem existed and it needed to be resolved, as such, there was no question of trust, but a deep felt need to understand their grievances which could help address the issues that created a backdrop for ethnic bloodshed. 

Wickremesinghe who was clearly in no mood to be drawn into any kind of controversy despite being prodded to criticise the LTTE and to take broad swipes at the People’s Alliance said that the fact that both parties had to be responsible to the commitments made to the international community at large and to the Norwegians made him feel confident. “Before we violate a process, we must remember the civilian population who have no interest in this war and desire a normal existence,” he quipped.

Intricate problem

When queried whether he had a road map to peace, the Sri Lankan Premier responded that the government took each day as it came, moved from issue to issue and incident to incident because a hard designed plan would not work. “So intricate is the problem,” he claimed.

Many were interested in getting ‘peace tips’ from Wickremesinghe as the only regional leader currently pursuing negotiated peace. The visiting Premier noted that Sri Lanka was learning from the success stories from India than attempting to dish advice. When the audience wished to know what he might offer to end the strife in Kashmir, he noted that the picture was not that bleak. India, he said had been politically wise on many occasions though the Kashmir problem was yet to be resolved. “We have learned from the way you handled Nagaland and Missouri. I’d rather remember the successes,” he said.

Besides the conclave address, Wickremesinghe also met with Indian political leaders. Congress and Opposition Leader Sonia Gandhi, the widow of assassinated Indian Premier Rajiv Gandhi, queried Wickremesinghe on the human rights and the violations of the truce by the LTTE. Gandhi who made her final visit to the island nation 12 years ago expressed her interest to revisit the country at a time when peace seemed to prevail.

A significant development that took place was the expansion of the free trade arrangement between the two countries that was expanded to a comprehensive bilateral economic co-operation agreement which was signed by Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and Wickremesinghe on March 1.

“The trade links between the two countries dates back to thousands of years. It is most natural for a government to want to revive the ancient links and go beyond what exists at present,” he noted.

The leaders also discussed a road network that would bridge Mumbai with Hambantota, an idea Wickremesinghe said he was most keen to pursue.

The Premier explained that India was coming up with a massive road network connecting Bangalore, Chennai and Mumbai, and said that it was not difficult to connect Mumbai with Hambantota that would increase trade opportunities of the island.

“Such openings would create more trade opportunities. Land route connections are necessary in order to make it practically possible. These barriers between countries have not benefited us, but only kept us apart,” the Premier told the Indian leaders. In this light, he noted Hambantota could be made the gateway to South Asia while Trincomalee could become the South Asian hub of trade activities as it was centuries ago.

Wickremesinghe informed his Indian counterpart that feasibility studies on the proposed bridge connecting Rameshwaram and Thalaimannar were very much on the government’s development agenda, which was heartily welcomed.

The proposal to create a land bridge connecting the two lands was enthusiastically welcomed by Indian President Dr. A. P. J. Kalam, who received the Wickremesinghes at Rashtrapathi Bhavan, his official residence. He recalled the early days when he had undertaken a sea route to the ancient capital of Anuradhapura to visit his uncle.

“The links are ancient, so are the routes,” Kalam told the visiting Premier.

To expand access to information technology in Sri Lanka, a treaty was signed by Economic Reforms, Science and Technology Minister Milinda Moragoda and Disinvestments, Telecommunication and Information Technology Minister Arun Shourie on behalf of the two governments. 

The Premier also paid a courtesy call on former Indian Premier Inder Kumar Gujral and met up with Indian defence expert Satish Nambiar.

— Dilrukshi Handunnetti