Rakna Lanka workers used for MR’s campaign

Second public hearing next week:

by Dhaneshi Yatawara

More witnesses will be summoned to give evidence during the second public hearing on allegations against State-owned Rakna Araksha Lanka Limited (RALL), scheduled for September 17 and 18, by the Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges.

Commission Secretary, Lacille de Silva, said witnesses will appear before High Court Judges Padman Surasena, Amendra Seneviratna, Vikum Kaluarachchi, Gihan Kulatunga and former Auditor General B.A. Premathilake.

The first public hearing was held on September 3-4, when evidence supported that hundreds of Rakna Lanka employees had been deployed in Kotte, Dehiwala, Kolonnawa and Maharagama areas for the Presidential campaign of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Over 10 witnesses gave evidence in support of the allegation of deploying workers for campaign work, during the two days.

Allegations, based on current evidence are three- fold; using nearly 500 employees of RALL for the 2015 presidential campaign of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, employment of nearly 150 Civil Defence Force personnel to temporarily replace those deployed for Rajapaksa’s campaign work and the misuse of Rs. 6 million by the deployment of the RALL personnel.

It has been reported that the Civil Defence Force personnel employed as replacements for RALL regular staff were required to wear a different uniform.

RALL is a government-owned Security Company established in February 2007, under Cabinet approval and employs nearly 3,000 retired service personnel.

The former government had spent Rs. 5 million to launch the company. According to a statement made before the Commission by RALL’s Chief Accountant, Gamini de Silva, during the first public hearing, the amount had been reimbursed to the Treasury.