Select Committee to probe MiG deal
Uditha Kumarasinghe, Rajmi Manatunga and Irangika
Range
KOTTE: The Government has decided to appoint a Select
Committee to probe the procurement of MiG 27 aircraft by the Defence
Ministry, Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka told Parliament
yesterday.
Responding to the question raised by UNP MP Joseph Michael Perera
regarding the purchase of MiG 27 aircraft by the Government, the Prime
Minister said proper investigations will be conducted by this Committee
to reveal the truth.
Perera said the Government has purchased four MiG 27 aircraft which
had earlier been rejected by the UNP when they were in power.
The entire transaction is suspicious because the planes have long
expired its useful lifespan. But what is more interesting is that this
was not an ordinary contract between the buyer and the seller. There was
a mysterious third party involved in this transaction as the agent of
the seller, he said. The payment for this transaction has been
undertaken by the People’s Bank.
The question is who in fact received this monies? Was it the seller
or some other party pretending to be the agent of the seller but in fact
an agent of the buyer, he asked.
Perera said these are serious questions that need to be investigated
and urged the Government to direct COPE to investigate this matter and
pending such investigation to direct People’s Bank to stop any further
payments until the COPE investigations are finalised.
Speaker W. J. M. Lokubandara: Is this matter coming under PERC or
COPE?
Perera (UNP): This matter should come under COPE.
Speaker: I will look into this matter.
Wimal Weerawansa (JVP): This issue has been raised several times in
Parliament. This matter directly affects the Security Forces. Please
draw your attention to appoint a select committee to conduct proper
investigations regarding these allegations. Some parties made used the
conflict for their benefit.
If the government is not willing to take any action, it would create
bad image to the Government and Security Forces too will be demoralised. |