Witnesses at presidential commission being hunted down

National Transport Commission

Former chairman of the commission Renuka Perera is accused of fraud in granting licenses for expressway bus services and also of having spent commission money on the re-election campaign of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Witnesses who gave evidence about these frauds are being subjected to such revenge that its director general Narangoda had to leave his job.

Higher Technical Institute
Employees who gave evidence against its former director general are being hunted down.

Coconut Industries Board
A 75-acre Mahaweli Authority land at Welikanda had been privately cultivated with coconuts by ex-minister Jagath Pushpakumara, with employees of the Board being used for the purpose. Witnesses who gave evidence of workers being used for private activities while being paid by the state are forced to leave their jobs.

SriLankan Airline
The former head of security at the airline is a friend of ex-defence secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa. Employees who gave evidence against him at the commission are in danger of losing their jobs.
The commission’s term has now ended. Police officers attached to it have now been sent to Cinnamon Gardens police without any duties. The IGP says they cannot be sent back to their previous stations as an election has been announced. However, an election should not come in the way. It appears the IGP is taking revenge from them.

The main reason for this situation is that the present government is having key figures and friends of the previous regime. The commission has handed over reports with regard to 17 complaints, but the president does not seem to have taken any decisive step. Reports with regard to 17 more complaints are to be handed over. But, those too, are likely to be ignored.