Chichi’s rocket found’ – Critics left puzzled

• Citing BoI data, PM Amarasuriya said that Supreme SAT Ltd. had paid dividends to the Sri Lankan government totaling an average sum of Rs.20 billion annually from 2015 to the first half of 2023.
• Chichi aka Rohitha Rajapaksa is former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s third son and he became a national joke after he claimed in 2012 that Supreme Sat had launched a communications satellite into space
• It was quite easy for Rohitha to become a national joke, considering that he flaunted his efforts to become a career ‘astronaut’ but did not pursue anything beyond helping send the Supreme SAT-1 satellite into space
• However, what is even more shocking is how politicians, including the NPP who were in the opposition back then, misled Parliament and even the public stating that millions of dollars of Sri Lankan tax payers monies were spent to send this so called failed satellite to space
• Either the leaders deliver what is pledged to the public, to expose those involved in corruption and also file legal cases against them, or they should consider riding on more realistic pledges rather than speaking words just to hoodwink the voter

Colombo, August 8 (Daily Mirror) - In a shocking revelation and also biting on their own words, the NPP government yesterday admitted that Supreme SAT Ltd., which launched a communications satellite into space in November 2012 from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China, had brought in a revenue to the country since it began commercial operations with the Board of Investments in 2015.

While the matter did not catch immediate attention, it came to the limelight when SLPP MP D.V. Chanaka immediately announced in Parliament that this satellite was more popularly known as ‘Chichi’s Rocket’.

Chichi aka Rohitha Rajapaksa is former President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s third son and he became a national joke after he claimed in 2012 that Supreme Sat had launched a communications satellite into space.

Since 2012, Rohitha Rajapaksa was ridiculed by all opposition parties including the NPP, SJB and UNP, for sending a failed rocket into space costing the tax payers millions in funds and with the rocket eventually disappearing.

It was quite easy for Rohitha to become a national joke, considering that he flaunted his efforts to become a career ‘astronaut’ but did not pursue anything beyond helping send the Supreme SAT-1 satellite into space. The public has even questioned him on his employment status. 

However, what is even more shocking is how politicians, including the NPP who were in the opposition back then, misled Parliament and even the public stating that millions of dollars of Sri Lankan tax payers monies were spent to send this so called failed satellite to space.

Infact the NPP in its election pledges assured the voters that it would divulge all the atrocities of the Rajapaksas once they came to power including the whereabouts of the hidden monies in Uganda and also exposing the corruption they were embroiled in.

However, ten months on no notable exposures have been made nor have any notable arrested been made.

Now to shed more embarrassment to the matter, Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya admitted in Parliament yesterday that Supreme SAT who had entered into an agreement with the Board of Investment (BOI) in May 23 2012, had invested Rs. 12.1 million for the satellite during 2013 and 2014. 

According to the investment application, the Sri Lankan government had not invested any money and Under clause 17 of the BOI Act, the investment was made as a project targeting the local market, Amarasuriya said.

Citing BoI data, Prime Minister Amarasuriya said that Supreme SAT Ltd, had paid dividends to the Sri Lankan government totaling an average sum of Rs. 20 billion annually from 2015 to the first half of 2023.

Yesterday’s revelation in Parliament seems to have disclosed that Chichi’s rocket seems to have been suddenly found and when questioned by the SLPP why it was ridiculed by key NPP Ministers in Parliament in the past, there seemed to be no satisfactory response from the NPP.

The Rajapaksa who were thrown out of power in 2022 for contributing towards the country’s worst ever economic crisis, have been marred with allegations of corruption and fraud for years.

However, their names have also been used by the opposition MPs to gain brownie points, as done in this case and it is now an embarrassment when politicians have to chew back on their own words of what they said for years just to gain political mileage.

Either the leaders deliver what is pledged to the public, to expose those involved in corruption and also file legal cases against them, or they should consider riding on more realistic pledges rather than speaking words just to hoodwink the voter.