-Written by a Special Correspondent
(Lanka-e-News -16.Oct.2024, 9.10 pm) Sampath Amaratunga, who had been serving as the Chairman of the University Grants Commission (UGC) for over 15 years by aligning with politicians to secure government positions, has resigned from his post. His name was mentioned in the infamous monk robes distribution case, which caused significant controversy.
Amaratunga, who never engaged in research or academic work but instead followed politicians for personal gain, has also been a problematic figure within the academic community due to his promotion to Professor and later “Senior Professor” titles without due qualifications. It is a well-known secret in universities that he would often list himself as the second investigator on research projects led by others to gather academic points.
Although he never anticipated becoming the UGC Chairman, he eventually used political influence to secure the post. His ultimate goal was to become the Governor of the Central Bank after his time as Vice-Chancellor. Close friends and politicians were aware of his aspirations. Recently, after failing to secure the Central Bank Governor position, he attempted to become the Ambassador to Japan. He was reportedly working on winning favor with President Ranil to make this happen.
In 2014, when the Board of Governors of the University of Sri Jayewardenepura decided to appoint Dr. Mohan de Silva as Vice-Chancellor, Amaratunga politically maneuvered to snatch the position for himself. He immediately worked to undermine the previous Vice-Chancellor’s achievements, claiming they had done nothing for the university, while also renovating his office into a luxury space resembling a five-star hotel.
During his time as Vice-Chancellor, Amaratunga reportedly traveled abroad 10 to 12 times per year, often with friends, at the expense of the state. His involvement in various financial scandals is widely known, including diverting payments meant for external lecturers to his personal accounts (up to 4 million rupees) and using funds earmarked for development projects for personal purposes.
Other administrative abuses under his leadership include manipulating the appointment of professors, hiring new faculty members, incurring exorbitant expenses for land and building rentals, selectively enforcing disciplinary measures, and making payments in violation of government financial regulations while protecting himself from repercussions through the university’s Board of Governors.
Given these issues, the public now expects the current government to conduct a thorough investigation into Sampath Amaratunga’s corrupt activities before he flees the country and to recover the enormous sums of public money he has misused for his personal benefit.
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by (2024-10-16 15:37:42)
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