By Shamindra Ferdinando Courtesy The Island

May 7, 2018, 12:29 pm

Former Kegalle District JVP MP Anuruddha Polgampola, who was compelled to resign, in Sept, 2008 for allegedly helping a person enter Japan, posing as his assistant, was appointed Chairman of the State Timber Corporation (STC) by President Maithripala Sirisena on Friday (May 4).

The appointment was made within 24 hours after STC Chairman Piyasena Dissanayake was arrested along with Dr. T. H.K. Mahanama, Chief of Staff of President Maithripala Sirisena for allegedly accepting a Rs 20 mn bribe from an Indian national.

The JVP Central Committee called for Polgampola’s resignation soon after the revelation that Japanese Immigration and Emigration authorities had questioned the MP at the Narita International Airport.

Ex-JVP MP Anuruddha Polgampola receiving letter of appointment as Chairman, State Timber Corporation (STC) from President Sirisena on Friday, May 4.

The JVP identified the person who received Polgampola’s help to enter Japan illegally as Kodituwakku Arachchige Rohan.

Japan deported the youth in late August, 2008.

JVP MP Vijitha Herath yesterday told The Island that the appointment received by Polgampola reflected the crisis in the current government administration. Herath said that the JVP had decided to expel Polgampola even before the flight taking him and the other person masquerading as his personal assistant touched down at Narita International airport. “We got to know Polgampola’s illegal operation immediately after he had left for Japan,” Herath said, adding that the MP didn’t have party approval to leave the country.

Herath alleged that Polgampola had been in remand twice in 2016 for deceiving two persons who had invested in a Vavuniya-based enterprise launched by him, with the blessings of the previous government. Having served under the former SLFP National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa after his expulsion from the JVP, Polgampola entered presidential fray in 2015 as an independent candidate and then contested the parliamentary polls in August 2015 on the UPFA ticket.

Mohammed Muzammil, spokesman for breakaway JVP faction, National Freedom Front (NFF) told The Island that Polgampola had been involved in the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) until the finalization of nominations for Local Government polls in February this year. Muzammil said that Polgampola functioned as the Organizing Secretary of the SLPP at the time he switched allegiance to President Sirisena.

Muzammil, who had been parliamentary colleague of Polgampola at the time the latter quit, emphasized the that key appointments should be cleared by the Parliamentary High Posts Committee. Both Herath and Muzammil said that there was nothing personal in their response to the latest appointment made by President Sirisena.

The Rajapaksa administration had never conducted a proper inquiry into an MP’s alleged involvement in human smuggling though the Japanese brought the Aug 2008 detection to the attention of the then government.

A senior police officer told The Island that police clearance was required and sought by state agencies. However, key appointments were made without taking into consideration alleged involvement of those receiving fresh postings in various clandestine activities, the official said.