UNP Benz car allegation

JHU strongman flexes his muscles

Sunday Meeting by Shanika Sriyananda

The 'issue' over multi- million rupees luxury Benz car owned by the Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) Leader Puravidya Chakrawarthi Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera has now turned out to becoming controversy within a controversy, where the two parties - the United National Party (UNP) and JHU pitching into each other.

In an interview with the 'Sunday Observer' the JHU strongman, Environment Minister Champaka Ranawake said the JHU will in time to come reveal the names of 44 UNP members who had sold their vehicle permit. "We look at this vehicle issue as Trojan Horse", he said.

Following are the excerpts of the interview:

Q: What is the latest on the 'Benz car drama'?

A: The very latest is that the Opposition Leader is trying to send his friends abroad, who were involved in the issue. What we have to say is that the vehicle in question is now not a big deal but the real problem is the political conspiracy. The motive behind is to bring this government into disrepute by slandering Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera, thereby denigrating the Bhikkhus engaging in the national movement. These elements, both local and foreign, want to create a low opinion of the Maha Sangha in the minds of the people. They also want to create a world opinion against the government and create a path for foreign conspirators to come into this country. On the other hand, these elements want to prevent our military forces going North and defeating terrorism.

However, it is clear that the Opposition Leader had come in possession of this vehicle in an irregular manner.

Meanwhile, they want to topple this government and takeover power by creating trouble in the South. By slandering Ven. Medananda Thera they want to discredit the Buddha Sasana and to make it impossible for the Hela Urumaya to be with the government. The report of the Human Rights Watch, statements of former Australian Foreign Minister and certain representatives of the UN have compared our country to Sudan and Zimbabwe and called it a failed State this to allow foreign military intervention. This was infact, told by Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe at a meeting in Mattakkuliya recently.

Recently, Minister Karu Jayasuriya revealed in the Parliament that a Tamil businessman resident abroad was prepared to offer US $ one million to each MP to vote against the government when important issues were to be taken up in Parliament. It is also reported that a certain person has set up a special institution at a cost of US $ two and half million to disrupt the work in our Ministry and also to create trouble within the JHU. Now we are in the process of inquiring into it and we will be able to reveal more details in the near future. Those organisations which refuse to fund any development programs to resettle innocent civilians in the East spend millions of dollars to promote these activities against the government to topple the government.

Q: Why does Ven. Ellawala Medhananda Thera need such an expensive Benz car?

A: The value of this vehicle is not Rs. 28 million. Whereas the market value is only Rs. 14.5 million. The value before taxation is Rs. 3.6 million. These vehicles were not brought down for use of prelates but took it because the vehicles were given to them. US $ 35,000 is the ceiling and any MP can get a vehicle within this amount.

Q: Would you or any other MP do the same thing?

A: I do not know about the JVP but out of 44 UNP Parliamentarians, over 90 percent of them have transferred their vehicles. We have the list.

The UNP has done a good thing by complaining to the Bribery Commission about this vehicle issue. We will also provide information to the Commission concerning irregularities regarding vehicles obtained by the 44 UNP MPs.

We know very well about the UNP MPs who transferred their vehicles and according to Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle majority of Parliamentarians have engaged in transferring their vehicles.

What we can clearly say is that this time there is no violation of the Customs law by the Ven. Ellawala Medananda Thera and that is why the Customs is not intervening this matter. We would like to question Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe and Mr. Ravi Karunanayake, who kicked up a big uproar but how many vehicles which they had obtained while as MPs and who owns them now. Especially we would like to ask Mr. Wickremesinghe to reveal list of vehicles he had obtained since he became an MP in 1977 and the present owners.

Q: Do you have documents to prove that they have transferred their vehicles to others?

A: Yes. We have all the information and we will submit them before the Commission when the complaint by Themia Hurulle is taken up. We also know about the vehicle obtained by Themia and where it is now.

Q: It was reported in the media that Ven. Ellawala Thera's vehicle is a registered vehicle but the one that the Opposition Leader travelled was without a registration number. Does this mean that there are two different vehicles?

A: No. Mr. Wickremesinghe has committed a major offence. Ven Ellawala Medananda Thera's vehicle bears the Registration No. KH-1715. Meanwhile, Mr. Wickremesinghe has a similar vehicle but with a garage number C771512. He has removed the real number and had fixed a false number. By doing this he has committed a major motor traffic offence, punishable with a two year imprisonment. Anyone can check this number from the RMV. However, he has committed two offences: possessing a vehicle not belonging to him and for changing the number plate with a false number.

Q: Why do you think that the UNP accuses the JHU in this manner?

A: We are happy that Mr. Wickremesinghe has taken us as their other half, Which shows the real Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe. He, on several occasions blamed us for deforestation and for over other various issues.

He has several problems. One is that he lost three Presidential elections and we are sure that he will never win. But he holds the leadership of the UNP tightly.

Mr. Wickremesinghe is talking about disappearances but the cook who was attached to the Batalanda Camp disappeared after he gave evidence at the Batalanda inquiry. He does not tell us as to what had happened to his own cook. We are going to disclose everything in the near future. It is very clear why he attacked Ven. Ellawala Thera. In the North the Thera had found enough archaeological evidence to disapprove the concept of Tamil homeland. Because of this Ven. Thera has become the prime target.

Q: The UNP leader has also accused you for not taking action against destruction of forests. What do you have to say about this allegation?

A: How can he talk about forest destruction. It is a big joke. In 1982, majority of the artistes who spoke at UNP platforms were given lands from the forests. They include popular film stars.

Today people are aware that we have put a stop to bribery and corruption in my ministry. When Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe was in power from 2002 to 2004, a section of the sanctuary in Hambantota district was given off to build a hotel. Before 1977 we had a forest cover of 37 percent but mass destruction of forests after 1977, it was reduced to 22 percent due to the Mahaweli development project. Today we have taken steps to restore our forest cover by planting trees for every tree that was cut. We have raided illegal timber stocks worth of Rs. 30.5 million.

Q: As a major partner of the government do you think that the government is stable enough to serve full term?

A: This is a media fear psychosis. What could be the reasons for the government to be unstable? Former President Chandrika Kumaratungahad a majority of 112 in the Parliament. But this government has a majority of 117. Ranil Wickremesinghe has only 44 and how he can form a government with this number. He should show us how he could come to power with this 44 or will he add the number JVP's 38 or TNA's 22.

The government is ready for an election. If we want, we can go for an election easily. What will happen is President Mahinda Rajapaksa will win the both North and the East. Last time he won without the support of the North and East but this time the government will win with the North and East. Only thing that will happen is that the people who had voted for TNA and other parties earlier, will cast their votes to the government this time.

If somebody tries to topple the government by resorting to some type of conspiracy this government is ready to face that. If they try to topple the government by separatism by using the LTTE to attack the government, like what they did during President Chandrika Kumaratunga period, we are ready for that too. There is no stable government during the past several decades. Today, what is in the papers, TV and the radio Channels reflects the hopes and aspirations of certain editors and producers. Not in all private media institutions but the papers and electronic media funded by the UNP are engaged in this. President Mahinda Rajapaksa has consolidated the sovereignty of the country by defeating terrorism. The Defence Secretary has said that the government will be able to eradicate terrorism within the next three years. At last we have a fearless leader who is determined to defeat Prabakaran.

All these parties including CWC, Muslim Congress and other parties in the North has now fallen in line with the thinking of the President Rajapaksa on the unitary status concept and we hope people in the North will advocate the same. The prime task is to bring unity among our nationalities to defeate terrorism. We will have the three D concept - Demilitarisation, Democratization and Development - which is in the Mahinda Chinthanaya. These three Ds will be continued in the North and East in the next one and half years.

Pix: Priyantha Hettige