Financial irregularities in RADA?

By Jayantha Sri Nissanka

Massive financial irregularities have occurred at the Reconstruction and Development Agency (RADA) over certain transactions, the Sunday Observer learns.

One such incident was that RADA had paid former Chief Operations Officer Saliya Wickremasuriya Rs. 2.2 million for his service for nine months after he resigned on July 14. But this amount has not been ratified by the Board of RADA and not approved by the Secretary to the President, a Board member told the Sunday Observer.

The cheque had been given to him in July but even at last Thursday’s Board meeting, Board members were divided over the ratification of this huge sum to Wickremasuriya.

The question has arisen as to how Director Finance Dr. Jayantha Samarasinghe had paid this amount to Wickremasuriya in July without obtaining proper approvals.

A Board member of the RADA has called upon President Mahinda Rajapaksa to reconstitute the RADA with efficient and honest people who know the pulse of the poor. The majority of the 98 employees are drawing lakhs of rupees in salaries but their output has not been satisfactory, he said.

When asked why, sources said, “if they have done a good job why are 40,000 families still languishing in temporary shelter. RADA is only a facilitating agency but implementing authorities are District Secretaries and Divisional Secretaries whose salaries are far below the RADA junior officials”.

Wickremasuriya admitted that he received a cheque amounting to Rs. 2.2 million for his service at the RADA for nine months in July. “I worked nine months without getting my salary and I got it after I resigned from my post. I got what I spent for nine months from my pocket,” he said. He said that he has not committed any financial irregularities. When asked about his salary and allowances totalling Rs. 375,000 he said that he came to serve Sri Lanka giving up a lucrative job abroad and what he is earning here is one-tenth of what he earned abroad.