By
Rasika Jayakody
National Freedom Front (NFF) leader and UPFA Parliamentarian Wimal Weerawansa was arrested last week by the Police Financial Crimes Investigations Division (FCID), for the abuse of state vehicles.
Several politicians and state officials under the previous government were under investigation for the same charge over the past few months, leading to the Joint Opposition’s accusation that supporters of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa were being harassed over ‘trivial’ charges.
Weerawansa was of the opinion that the investigation against him was part of that same political witch-hunt – something he repeatedly told the media. The allegation that Weerawansa abused vehicles however, was by no means trivial: It was alleged, the former Minister of Housing and Construction misused as many as 40 vehicles while under the Rajapaksa administration.
Relatives
The FCID received complaints that Weerawansa’s close relatives had received vehicles from the institutions under his purview, during the time he was Minister of Housing and Construction (2011 – 2014).
Records show that one of his nephews – Lalith Pushpakumara, son of his sister Sumanawathie Weerawansa, had received five vehicles (GK-5073, KD-4049, KB-7053, KW-6956, GK-5073, KP-4802) from his Ministry.
Ridma Vimukthi Weerawansa, another nephew, had also received a vehicle from Weerawansa.
Ananda Ashoka Kumara, the husband of the parliamentarian’s wife’s sister, had received three vehicles (KB-6038, HQ-4974, GR-5774, KI-4648, KA-7440) from Weerawansa’s Ministry.
Another vehicle (GY- 4635) had been given to Pallaperu Gamage Ananda Priyadarshana, the husband of Weerawansa sister, Nilani Weerawansa.
Nilani Weerawansa too, received of her brother’s generosity, with the Ministry releasing a vehicle (JN 8058) for her use.
Aside from relatives, his friends and party activists too had received vehicles from the Ministry, on Weerawansa’s instructions: Among them is a journalist attached to a vernacular newspaper, and several members of the National Freedom Front.
An interesting revelation was the fact that Iththakande Sadhdhathissa Thera, the leader of the Ravana Balaya, was among those who received vehicles from Weerawansa’s Ministry: The Ravana Balaya is an ultra-nationalist group supporting former President Rajapaksa’s political campaign, and has many anti-minority acts to its account.
Weerawansa had also appointed Saddhdathissa Thera as a director of the National Housing Authority – an institution coming under the Housing and Construction Ministry, and these revelations uncover a link between certain violent ultra-nationalist organizations, and the Rajapaksa administration.
Police sources said, the loss incurred by the government due to abuse of vehicles during the time when Weerawansa’s was at the helm of the Ministry, was over Rs. 90 million: It is in this context that Weerawansa was arrested by the FCID, last week.
Weerawansa’s statement to the FCID has also raised eyebrows: While saying he could not recall specific reasons why he obtained vehicles from the Engineering Corporation for his personal staff, he did offer the justification that the Ministry had initiated various large-scale projects under his guidance, and that many people, including his staff members, were committed to ensure its success.
Absolving himself of any wrong, the NFF leader said: “The Minister only gives instructions. It is up to the officials to take action based on the Minister’s instructions, without breaking the law.”
Weerawansa said, he was not aware that vehicles had been obtained by the Ministry for his personal staff, but said, it might have happened based on examples set in the past.
On the allegation that vehicles from his Ministry had been given to his relatives, Weerawansa said he was not aware of such a thing: He did say however, that his nephews Vimukthi Weerawansa and Lalith Pushpakumara – who have allegedly made use of six state-owned vehicles – did ‘voluntary work’ for the Ministry.
He also made the statement that members of his extended family, who are being investigated by the FCID, had been on his personal staff.
Agitation
Weerawansa’ supporters received wind of his impending arrest and began a massive social media campaign urging Rajapaksa supporters to gather in front of the FCID to agitate against the arrest of the parliamentarian.
His party also initiated an island wide poster campaign, describing Weerawansa’s arrest as a political witch-hunt.
Weerawansa’s family was at the forefront of the ‘mini-rally’ held by his supporters near the FCID premises.
Among them were Weerawansa’s sister-in-law Thanuja Nishanthi and her daughter, who were captured on camera cursing the government and those who voted for President Sirisena.
Nishanthi’s daughter, speaking directly to the media, threatened to enter politics to make amends for Weerawansa’s arrest.
While outrage on the part of Weerawansa and his relatives – however misguided – can be empathized with, it calls to question systematic flaws that allow this sort of abuses and blatant self-absolvents.
It is why solid frameworks and policies must come into effect, negating such issues in the future and ensuring that ministers do not spoil their families, friends and party activists with state money and state resources.
Courtesy:Sunday Observer