Behind Closed Doors:

Of weddings, big DIGs and Anjanam...

by Rasputin

Dirt digging DIGs get bigger

In an interesting turn of events, Ravi Waidyalankara, DIG heading the much talked about Police Financial Crimes Division, has been promoted to the rank of Senior DIG under the directive of the IGP. Needless to say Waidyalankara deserved to be promoted as he is one of the most capable and highly qualified officers in the country’s Police service.

However, a serious question remains over the ‘outcome’ of certain investigations carried out by the unit headed by Waidyalankara as law enforcement bodies have failed to arrest ‘culprits’ based on the results of the investigations. There are whispers behind closed doors that the Attorney General’s Department is buying time without recommending the necessary measures to arrest those who were involved in alleged large-scale financial crimes.

For instance, the FCID has investigated a case where a staggering Rs. 620 million had been siphoned off from the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission to distribute sil redi among Buddhist devotees four days prior to the Presidential election in January. The investigation was concluded a few weeks ago and the reports handed over to the law enforcement bodies to take action. Some say that no action has so far been taken against those who were responsible for the transaction as the authorities have decided to go-slow on the matter.The other investigation was one against the Ocean View Development Company which came under the purview of the Housing Ministry previously held by Wimal Weerawansa. It has come to light that the investigation was quite detrimental to Weerawansa as there seems to be concrete evidence against him.

SLFP General Secretary Anura Priyadarshana Yapa was also under investigation by the Police FCID following some complaints against his conduct as a minister of the previous regime. Although the FCID has done its part to the best of its ability, other law enforcement bodies have not taken any “follow-up” action on the FCID investigations, giving strong indications of moves behind closed doors.

It is against this backdrop that Waidyalankara has been promoted as a Senior DIG. Isn’t the next move a little too obvious?

State TV: yahoo to yaha paalanaya?

Ridgeway Tillekaratne, a well-known civil servant who headed the SLBC back in the 70s, once penned a song under a pseudonym as he felt uncomfortable to use his real name while serving as the Chairman of the sole State-owned body airing songs and other programs at the time. Tillekaratne penned a song for singer T.M. Jayaratne under the pseudonym ‘Wimala Ranjanee Pieris’ and even the closest associates of Ridgeway at the SLBC were not aware of the real identity of the lyricist!

Of course, times have changed and gone are the days when senior State officials were worried about conflict of interest and professionalism. Today, under yahapalanaya, we are gifted with bigwigs of State TV stations who telecast their own films in their own channels almost every weekend without an iota of respect for good-governance, professionalism and ethical values. Want proof? Check the program line-up of a certain State-owned TV channel over the past three weeks!

Politics and glamour

Even before the Pro-Mahinda six-member coordinating committee met President Sirisena, there was a man who arranged a meeting between the two presidential personalities belonging to two intra-party camps. He is W. Vinil, a prominent businessman and a leading player in the gem industry.

He boldly invited former President Rajapaksa and President Sirisena for his daughter’s wedding to sign as witnesses. Despite hostilities on the political front, President Sirisena and Rajapaksa accepted the invitation knowing the ‘meeting’ would draw a lot of public attention.

The wedding took place at the Cinnamon Grand Hotel, Colombo, three days ago. Eager watchers noted that the two Presidents, who were close allies for over four decades, did not have direct eye-contact while sitting at opposite ends of the table to sign as witnesses.

However, after the registration, the parents of the couple managed to get their consent to pose for a group photograph. It was one of those rare occasions they were seen smiling together after the Presidential election in January.

However, President Sirisena did not stay at the wedding for more than 45 minutes due to other engagements. Rajapaksa was seen posing for selfies especially with young, glamorous lady guests. Oh, and the selfies he posed for went viral on social media with captions ranging from the hostile Dinuu deshaya anathure? to the sycophantic Mahinda samaga nagitimu!.

Anjanam-addiction

It is widely believed that the former ‘royal astrologer’ was instrumental in former President Rajapaksa’s defeat at the last Presidential election. Even the time-lines of the election were decided by him. With Rajapaksa’s election defeat, the royal astrologer became the pet subject of cartoonists and some political observers even dubbed him as the “man who rescued the country from the man who rescued the country”.

However, speaking to a Pakistani journalist a few weeks after his defeat, Rajapaksa said he had lost faith in astrology. But, he contradicted his own statement a few days later when he sought the assistance of an Indian astrologer to make certain changes to the ‘Peacock Mansion’ which was about to be gifted to him by famous businessman A.S.P. Liyanage. Later, Liyanage changed his mind and the mansion was not gifted to the former President!

Some even speculate that astrologers have advised Rajapaksa not to make public appearances at political rallies until June 21 due to astrological reasons. They say that is one reason why Rajapaksa only conducts ‘religious meetings’ while shying away from political rallies organised in support of his election campaign.

Meanwhile, the former First Lady, over the past few weeks, has reportedly visited a famous fortune-teller in Himbutana, Malabe, several times to know about the future of her husband and other family members.

The fortune-teller, sources said, operates with the blessings of ‘Anjanam Devi’ and ‘Hanuman’ – two prominent names in local mythology.

This clearly indicates the fact that the former first family has still not learnt a lesson from the outcome of the last Presidential election.

Sycophant-speak

The SLFP politicos’ meeting, chaired by President Maithripala Sirisena last week, saw an interesting development with the President appointing a six-member committee to coordinate with the former President. The pro-Rajapaksa group considered this to be a major victory and they even went on to state that the President agreed to give the Prime Ministerial candidacy to the former President. Although their buoyancy was short-lived, there were some Pro-Rajapaksa campaigners who actually choose to live in that ‘PM candidate’ bubble.

Among them was a ‘short and stout’ Provincial Councillor of the Western Province hailing from Maharagama. He aligned himself with the Rajapaksa campaign in the recent past although he was given step-motherly treatment by the Rajapaksas when they were in power. After the appointment of the committee, the Provincial Councillor thought the President was serious about nominating MR as the Prime Ministerial candidate of the party. He thought it was an appropriate moment to present his own suggestion on building unity and reconciliation in the party.“Sir, I think it is good if you can remain as the Executive President and make Mahinda Rajapaksa the leader of the party. That’s the best way to unite our party.”

There was a pin-drop silence. And then, ripples of laughter not only among the members of the Sirisena camp, but also among the stalwarts of the Rajapaksa campaign, after they realised the ‘practicality’ of this solution!