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| Saturday, 29 May 2004 |
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Anura launches operation clean up: Heads roll at BOI Minister of Industries, Tourism and Investment Promotion Anura Bandaranaike yesterday sacked two top officials of the BOI, as he began cleaning up the BOI of massive fraud, corruption, waste and malpractice in the country's key foreign investment institution. The two officials are Major General Wasantha Perera (Deputy Director General - Administration Department) and G.N. Pathikirikorale (Senior Advisor - Senior Advisor's Office) both political appointees who had each been paid exorbitant salaries, of Rs. 100,000 per month. They were also using lease/rental cars at payments of Rs. 138,000 per month which the BOI paid. After a stipulated period of hire, these vehicles were transferrable in their names. It was also alleged that the former BOI Chairman Arjuna Mahendra who had a fleet of lease rental vehicles for his official and personal use had taken the cars home with him when he resigned. The new Board of Directors under Chairman Lalith de Mel was appointed yesterday. The Board comprises D. H. S. Jayawardane (Chairman Aitken Spence), Mrs. Prema Cooray (widow of Chryshantha Cooray, Chairman of Browns Group) and M. Karunadhara, met yesterday at the BOI towers. Mr. Bandaranaike told the Daily News yesterday that he had taken this firm course of action to clean up the BOI after having a lengthy discussion with the President who concurred with the measures he proposed to take. Mr. Bandaranaike said more heads will roll at the next board meeting on Thursday. The Minister said the massive mandate received by the United People's Freedom Alliance was to get rid of archaic political appointees who were obstructing the policies of the Alliance. It was a good example of bad governance versus good governance, bad governance on the part of former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe who appointed these two individuals knowing their background well, knowing they were unfit to hold responsible positions of this nature. "It was a clear indication that Ranil Wickremesinghe was paying off political acolytes with huge government funds. Good governance means just the opposite. Therefore I have stopped these handouts being given to UNF cronies, millions of rupees in public funds," Mr. Bandaranaike said. |
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