(Lanka-e-News -26.Nov.2015, 7.00AM) Harin Fernando the digital minister after reading Lanka e news report telephoned to say no amount of money was thrust into his mouth or down his throat.Lanka e news exposing the alleged corrupt transaction between Hutch and SLT Mobitel of Kumarasinghe Sirisenas this noon concluded the report thus :
‘Meanwhile, our efforts to get more information in this regard from Harin Fernando the Digital minister in charge of SLT and Mobitel proved futile. It is a matter for regret that Harin Fernando since the day he was appointed as minister , appears to have forgotten to receive incoming calls. Perhaps Harin Fernando who answered phone calls most profusely and anxiously during the period of elections and paraded as a paragon of virtue is now unable to speak because some amount of filthy lucre of Rs. 11400 million had been thrust into his cavernous mouth too until he was choked. ‘
Harin speaking to Lanka e news said , because the old phone number he had given us has been changed , he could not receive our calls .
Harin in any case said , he had not got choked on dollars , and this Hutch- Mobitel deal referred to has been presented to the Cabinet today .All ministers and party MPs including the prime minister attended this cabinet meeting, but Kumarasinghe Sirisena the chairman of SLT Mobitel did not.
Speaking further , Harin explained with a view to distributing the frequency rights ( spectrum) , if the Mobitel is to be still extended , another telephone Co. chain has to be purchased undoubtedly , and this was in the pipeline for some time.However ,he added as Lanka e news revealed there could have been a fraud , but the government has taken measures to avert it.
The anti corrupt measure taken is , when the purchase is being made , a sub committee comprising ministers representing all the parties including the prime minister will decide the price , Harin revealed.
However in regard to the underhand deals that are being transacted between one another , he canoot comment , Harin pointed out. Yet every action is being taken to preclude such rackets , he added. The board of Directors of Mobitel Co will comprise 9 members of them five will be Sri Lankans while the remaining four will be Malaysians .Besides the SL government cannot take any decxision on its own when the purchase is being made , he observed.
When Lanka e news inquired from Harin about the appointment of pro Rajapakse corrupt cronies to the Mobitel board after dismissing the gentlemen Directors of good governance , he said , he did his best to keep them back in their posts , but as the orders were from the very top he was helpless.
No matter what , we have to anyway act with patience , so that the hopes reposed by the people in us and their aspirations are fulfilled by the united government in the future.We are committed to that goal , Harin further elaborated.
Following this discussion , Lanka e news probed into this afore mentioned transaction . We shall publish a report thereof later.
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by (2015-11-26 01:29:23)
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Aiyo Harin, meka hari vedekne. If you as the Minister cannot make independent judgments and decisions over officials attached to your ministry using your brain, your mouth or the other end of your mouth, you should resign.A good governance reputation is bigger than a good bundle of dollar notes.Just make sure that the dollars are not counterfeit because false money won't be enough to even buy lowly pittu to stuff into your hungry mouth.
-- by celine hariharan on 2015-11-27
