Helping Hambantota:

where accusers stand condemned

TSUNAMI RELIEF : If ever there was a boomerang blow on politicians making strident accusations against a rival, with no basis other than a cheap lie, it is best seen by the fate of the accusers in the Helping Hambantota episode.

Mahinda Rajapakse, who was accused from UNP platforms and broadsheets of yellow journalism that support it, first overcame allegations about his handling of tsunami relief funds, when the tsunami affected people in Hambantota District voted so hugely in favour of him.

They rejected outright his accuser, trying to win the southern vote by what were clearly false allegations, blown out of all proportion.

Last week the Supreme Court had the last word on Helping Hambantota (HH). It declared that those who accused Mahinda Rajapakse of misappropriation or wrongful use of tsunami relief funds, were not only wrong in their allegations, but had also raised them to tarnish the image of a rival in the presidential election, and thereby violated his fundamental rights.

In a strongly worded judgment the Supreme Court held that the police too had violated accepted procedure in carrying out a probe into a vague and unsubstantiated allegation.

By implication the key persons in the police, responsible for the inquiry into the allegations about HH, were seen as acting in collusion with politicians seeking to tarnish the image of Mahinda Rajapakse.

Fine on the IGP

The HH boomerang returned to its original throwers in the UNP camp, giving them another body blow when already battered after the electoral success of Mahinda Rajapakse.

It also struck hard at senior officials of the Police, the guardians of the law, for having violated the fundamental rights of Mahinda Rajapakse, then Prime Minister and Presidential candidate, and now the Executive President of the country.

It puzzles me as to how the Inspector General of Police could remain in khaki anymore when the highest Court in the land has declared he has violated the fundamental rights of the Head of State, and orders him to pay Mr. Rajapakse Rs. 100,000 from his own purse.

The least expected from anyone in such a situation is to see his letter of resignation sent to the President no sooner the judgment was delivered. But, such gentlemanly acceptance of responsibility is not the stuff of which most of today's public officers are made of.

Instead one reads in the Press that the IGP claims he knew nothing of the HH investigation when it was on. This admission of not knowing what was going under his very nose and again calls for his exit from the Police service.

With the IGP demonstrating such lack of integrity, one cannot expect much more from the Director of the CID, who serves under him, and also found guilty of the same offence by the Supreme Court, and ordered to pay Mr. Rajapakse Rs. 100,000 from his own pocket.

One recalls here the Sinhala aphorism, as to whom one is to complain to if the both the fence and bund, meant for its protection, are together destroying the crop.

Kabir "Boomerang" Hashim

If he has any self respect, which I strongly doubt judging from past performance, Kabir Hashim of the UNP, who aimed the boomerang at Mahinda Rajapakse to help his leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, must be rueing the day he went to a police station and made a complaint based on a report of a decidedly pro-UNP Sunday newspaper about Mahinda Rajapakse and the alleged misappropriation of funds by him through HH.

He too was found guilty of violating Mr. Rajapakse's fundamental rights and ordered to pay the President Rs. 100,000 of his own cash. Such money is peanuts for those of Kabir Hashim and his ilk.

But, how can he ever present himself as an honest politician or one who plays fair in the game of politics, when he carried out such a calculated act of gross dishonesty in making that complaint to the police?

Whatever criticism the UNP has to make of politicians of the SLFP or UPFA, and there is so much to criticize them about, with the types of Kabir Hashim within its ranks, the UNP can never dare say holier than thou to any political party.

In fact, the behaviour of Kabir Hashim, in the overall political strategy of the UNP, seen by the howl they made about HH, clearly shows that when it comes to playing dirty in politics it is as bad as or even worse than its 50 year record of galloping corruption in the Colombo Municipal Council.

What is evident is the UNP making a willingly obliging police its ally in this vile act of political chicanery. There also hangs a question whether the police was also under pressure and from whom, to throw all caution to the wind and join the UNP's boomerang throw against Mahinda Rajapakse.

Mahinda Rajapakse has been vindicated and his honour fully restored. He is the richer by Rs. 500,000, which I hope will go for further tsunami relief. In fact he will be Helping Hambantota some more, with the UNP and the police badly bruised by the boomerang that returned.

Sonia stands taller

Sonia Gandhi has created history in many ways, but the greatest event was her turning down the virtual crown of India, when she refused to accept the office of Prime Minister when the Congress led coalition won in elections to the Lok Sabha in 2004.

At a time when we are talking about the lack of integrity among lesser mortals at home, Sonia Gandhi has once again showed her true calibre, resigning from her seat in Parliament, allowing any inquiry to proceed into the charge that she was also holding 'an office of profit', prohibited to elected politicians of India.

In announcing her resignation she said: "I have done this because it is the right thing to do." Rare words to come from a politician.

Looking at the Indian example, it would be good for Sri Lanka also to make it an offence for elected politicians to hold another office of profit, whether a salary, an honorarium or other perks.

At least it can help keep politicians out of the key positions in sports regulatory bodies, which bring them many perks and also many benefits that are never quantified in cash.