By Gagani Weerakoon and Skandha Gunasekara
The government yesterday disclosed, in Parliament, that a Sri Lankan ambassador, during last regime, had used the Sri Lankan mission, in a prominent country, to sell weapons. Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera also said that Sri Lankan diplomatic missions abroad had been functioning as business centres during the last regime.
"One such embassy in a prominent country had been used by its ambassador to sell weapons," the minister said, adding that he had called for an investigation from the ministry on the deals and tasks carried out by the Lankan High Commissions, Embassies and Consul General Offices abroad during the period of the previous government.
"We would reveal the names of persons and their corrupt deals once the investigations are completed and I receive the report of those investigations," the minister said.
He said that it had now been found that many diplomats were actually engaging in promoting their private and personal businesses and agendas, making use of the offices maintained on public funds to promote Sri Lankan interests abroad. "Rule of the jungle by the previous regime was not limited to this land. Now we find that the same rule of jungle prevailed in Lankan missions abroad," the minister said.
Responding to a question, raised by JVP Leader, Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Minister said the Sri Lankan Embassy in Washington had paid Rs 5,172,700 to Cranford Johnson Robinson Wood Company there in 2010, without entering into agreements. These funds had been paid from the Ministry of External Affairs to promote the good name of Sri Lanka while the Lankan embassy had all physical and human resources to carry out the same task, the minister said. "Some of these financial transactions are highly controversial. It is after your question that we really commenced investigations. Now we have confirmed facts to say that the previous government had paid to at least five to six foreign companies in the US and the UK to promote Sri Lanka and build the Lankan image. In case of the Cranford Johnson Robinson Wood, the then Lankan Ambassador to Washington Jaliya Wickremasuriya had written to the Ministry recommending the payment. According to that letter the decision to pay the company had been taken on the basis of a project proposal from the company. No agreement had been signed," the minister said.
Minister Samaraweera said that stocks of documents relating to many controversial deals had gone missing. "Now only we find that there are no documents related to these deals. It is unimaginable how the ministry had functioned during the last government. No proper procedures had been followed. That was why I appointed a committee and commenced investigations," the minister said.
Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe quipped: "The Ministry of External Affairs had been lost in action during the previous regime. We found it again on 12 January, this year."
From Ceylon Today : https://www.ceylontoday.lk/51-85335-news-detail-lankan-embassy-used-as-weapons-sales-centre.html
