It was a heated session of the National Executive Council (NEC) last Monday when former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga picked up a mobile phone to speak to Defence Ministry Secretary K.M.U.D. Basnayake. She was angry. “Who the hell asked you to issue a letter to Nissanka Senadipathi, the Chairman of Avant Garde Maritime Security?” she demanded. She went on “that too had been prepared last Sunday when the MoD remained closed. You had gone out of the way to turn up at the Ministry, open your office to prepare this letter which is not within your area of responsibility.”

Ms. Kumaratunga was referring to a three-page letter which has been produced by Mr. Senadipathi’s counsel at the Colombo Magistrate’s Court last Monday as supporting evidence to obtain his passport for a second time to travel abroad.” She said that it was wrong for Mr. Basnayake to issue such a letter where he had declared that Mr. Senadipathyi’s travel abroad was athya avashyai or very essential. More so when the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) was investigating the floating armoury case involving Mr. Senadipathi’s private company.

Ms. Kumratunga also raised issue with Defence Secretary Basnayake why he granted leave for Damayanthi Jayaratne, Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Defence, to travel abroad when she had become the subject of investigation by the CID over the same case. He had replied that Ms. Jayaratne had to go for an urgent family matter. NEC members disclosed that leave had been granted for six months.

Ms. Jayaratne, as Additional Secretary was in charge of Civil Security matters at the Ministry of Defence. Hence she had signed ‘authorisations’ for the issue of weapons to the floating armoury. CID detectives have recorded statements from her and had wanted to question her to cross check information when they learnt she had departed from Sri Lanka.

Former President Kumaratunga did not hide her feelings when she declared that there was now a need to change the Defence Secretary. She said she would take up issue with President Sirisena who was then on a visit to Britain. The National Executive Council is the apex body of partners of the rainbow coalition, civil society groups and the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)

Courtesy:Sunday Times