The prime minister’s office has issued a
brief of a four-member committee report into corruption and wrongdoing
in the SriLankan Airlines.The report, handed over to the prime minister by committee chairman J.C. Weliamuna, details irregularities in the procurement of aircraft and misuse of the airline by its top officials during the previous regime.
Ex-chairman to court
Head of the airline during the period was Nishantha Wickramasinghe, brother of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa’s wife.
According to the brief by the PM’s office, the committee report recommends that Wickramasinghe should be investigated and punished by a court of law.
The SriLankan chairman and CEO Kapila Chandrasena had faked documents to buy a luxury car for the use of Wickramasinghe, who was already having a Benz and Prado.
Air hostess released for Namal
The report also reveals that SriLankan has released one of its air hostesses for the political activities of the ex-president’s son Namal Rajapakssa.
Released on a request by Lalith Weeratunga, former president’s secretary, the air hostess had been paid more than Rs. 4.2 million in addition to her salary.
The report recommends that that money should be reimbursed by her.
Among irregularities in the recruitment of staff is that several persons who had repeatedly failed the recruitment examination had been enrolled on oral requests by the airline’s managers.
Nishantha’s friend as brand ambassador
A new position called SriLankan Airline brand ambassador had been created and an air hostess close to Wickramasinghe appointed.
The Weliamuna committee has also found that Chandrasena was not qualified to hold the CEO position.
However, he had drawn a Rs. 1.5 million salary, in addition to getting paid as head of Mihin Lanka and Mobitel.
Also, the London branch manager been transferred on a presidential order after he had opposed the use of the airline to regularly transport from the British capital vehicle spare parts for Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of the president.
The SriLankan staff had got involved in human trafficking too, while a retired major general with no knowledge on aviation security had been recruited on a Rs. 450,000 salary.
Aviation minister Reginald Cooray has commended the committee for having submitted the report within a short period of six weeks, BBC Sandeshaya reports.
