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SL paid 85 mn to US Company for DPL work

20 Feb 2015 - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Sri Lankan Embassy in the United States paid Rs. 85 million to a company named ' Patton Boggs' within a period of three years to carry out various activities on behalf of the government of Sri Lanka though they could have been done easily by diplomatic officers, Parliament was informed yesterday.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry of the new government revealed such details to the House in response to a question by JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. According to the answer tabled in the House, this company had been assigned to cultivate allies in Congress for Sri Lanka, and to prevent any bills or resolutions coming up against the country at the Congress.

It had also been hired to help get the 2010 travel advisory on Sri Lanka lifted, and get the country off the Trafficking in Persons List. It had been contracted to organize a US business delegation to Sri Lanka.

The cultivation of genuine allies within the US congress for Sri Lanka, organising official delegations of US congressmen visiting Sri Lanka, the prevention of bills and resolutions on Sri Lanka, conducting negotiations on behalf of the mission to get the US State Department to lift the travel advisory were cited as the benefits derived from hiring this company.

However, Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera has said in his answer that such activities could have been carried out by diplomatic officers as such responsibilities came under their purview.

In 2010, Rs.35 million had been paid to this company. Rs.46 million had been paid in 2011 and Rs.12 million in 2012. (Kelum Bandara and Yohan Perera)

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SL paid 85 mn to US Company for DPL work

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