Former Minister Rajitha Senaratne likely to be named suspect

By Bhagya Silva

Colombo, June 27 (Daily Mirror) - The Bribery Commission informed the court that former Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne is likely to be named as a suspect in connection with the controversial sand dredging project at the Kirinda Fisheries Harbour.

This disclosure was made before Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali Jayathunga, who inquired whether additional arrests would be made in the ongoing investigation into alleged corruption involving the Lanka Fisheries Harbour Corporation (LFHC).

Former Chairman of the Lanka Fisheries Harbour Corporation (LFHC) in 2012, Upali Liyanage, who was arrested by the Bribery Commission in connection with a corruption charge, was granted bail on three sureties of Rs. 5 million.

Appearing on behalf of the Commission, Counsel Sulochana Hettiarachchi stated that the investigation was initiated in 2013 following an anonymous tip-off, which claimed that a dredging vessel belonging to the Corporation was being illegally sold for scrap. During the investigation, it was revealed that a project proposal had been forwarded to a Korean company for the purpose of extracting and purifying sand from the Kirinda Fisheries Harbour and distributing it to the local market.

It was further revealed that the project had been awarded to the company without following the required legal procedures. Although the then Minister of Fisheries, Rajitha Senaratne, had put forward the proposal, it was not submitted to the Cabinet through the Ministry Secretary for approval, as required by protocol.

The CIABOC told the court that the Korean company had agreed to pay Rs. 300 per cube of purified sand and bear the cost of the other related facilities. However, in the course of implementing the project, the dredging vessel and other equipment belonging to the LFHC had been handed over to the Korean company without due process, resulting in a financial loss of Rs. 26.2 million to the Corporation.

The Commission also stated that the project had been carried out entirely outside the legal framework and without obtaining feasibility reports from key institutions such as the Geological Survey and Mines Bureau and the Central Environmental Authority.

Commission further stated that the suspect, Upali Liyanage, during his tenure as Chairman in 2012, had acted unilaterally and in violation of the law, bypassing all required procedures in the implementation of the said project.

Appearing for the suspect, President’s Counsel Sampath Mendis told the court that his client had not exerted any influence over any witness during the investigation.

He further stated that if the Korean company had defaulted on payments, the Corporation should have filed legal action to recover the funds, but no such steps were taken.

Noting that his 77-year-old client is in poor health, President’s Counsel Mendis requested the court to release him on bail.