Ranil is the Richard Nixon of Sri Lanka
Posted on July 24th, 2015
Metteyya Brahmana
Most of us who are familiar with the Watergate scandal that forced US President Richard Nixon to resign in disgrace, and are also familiar with the emerging details of the largest bond fraud in Sri Lankan history, see the parallels fairly clearly and wonder whether the current Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, Ranil Wickramasinghe, will fall from grace in like fashion.
Richard Nixon, as you might recall, denied any involvement with Watergate right up until moment that the tapes were leaked to the press that proved his involvement with the cover-up of the burglary at the Democratic National Headquarters by Republican Party operatives. A few months after the break-in, Nixon claimed his presidential lawyer, John Dean, had conducted a thorough investigation (which was later shown to be a complete fabrication), and stated based on this investigation, “I can say categorically that… no one in the White House staff, no one in this Administration, presently employed, was involved in this very bizarre incident.”(1) Nixon was also famous for saying, I will never tell a lie”, when all who knew him revealed that he constantly lied as part of a pathology and defect in his personality and character.
The parallels to Watergate and the Central Bank Fraud are very close. Ranil Wickramasinghe had a phony ‘independent’ committee of UNP party loyalists do an investigation which found that Arjuna Mahendran had no direct involvement” as the Central Bank Governor in the issuance of bonds to his son-in-law’s securities firm, Perpetual Treasuries.
However, the COPE report (2) which was in an interim draft form when it was leaked to the press, tells a completely different story than the ‘no direct involvement conclusion” by Ranil’s independent committee. The COPE report consisted of recorded testimony from 49 witnesses, and two of these witnesses – Dr. Azim and Mrs. Seneviratne – who were superintendents in the department where the bond auction was taking place – claimed that the Central Bank Governor came into their department on two occasions: once, during the course of the auction and remained there until the auction was finished, and on the second occasion after the auction had been completed he returned with two deputy ministers from the Central Bank, demanded to see the bidding list, and after reviewing the bidding list directed Azim and Seneviratne, over their objections, to accept bids to the exact amount of his son-in-law’s bid. Azim and Seneviratne also testified that in their entire careers at the Central Bank, no Central Bank Governor other than Mahendran had ever come into their department before during an auction, and never had told them which bids or amounts they should accept or not.
When Mahendran was questioned about his personal involvement and presence during the bond auction and issuance of the bonds to his son-in-law’s firm before COPE committee investigators, he claimed he was there at the auction on strong directives” from Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe.(3)
Now we know we know why Ranil Wickramasinghe has been trying to prevent the COPE report from being disclosed to the public – it implicates ‘him’ in securities fraud, insider trading, and obstruction of justice, which are all serious crimes that carry stiff prison sentences. Ranil knows the voters of Sri Lanka would never take him or his UNP party seriously on their claim to bring ‘good governance’ to Sri Lanka knowing he was involved in such major crimes while being in control of the Sri Lankan government for only six months.
Nixon resigned in disgrace rather than face an impeachment trial which certainly would have found him guilty of serious crime, now we will see if Ranil will do the same or bring down the entire UNP party with him by continuing to contest this election.
References:
(1) “Watergate Retrospective: The Decline and Fall”, Time Magazine, August 19, 1974.
(2) COPE Interim Draft Report of Bond Fraud (Page 8): https://www.scribd.com/doc/271728734/COPE-Report-on-Bond-Fraud-in-Sri-Lanka
(3) Stinking details on Bond scam COPE report reveals”, Ceylon Today, July 5, 2015.
July 24th, 2015 at 3:02 pm
Getting the pickpocket Ranil out of Sri Lanka politics will be a blessing to the country. He has no grace to fall from. If he had/had any he would have resigned 29 times.
To me not only Mahendran and Ranil, even Sirisena should go. He has provided cover to Ranil by sudden dissolution of the parliament.
July 24th, 2015 at 4:46 pm
Sinhalese have very short memories, and Ranil is still there due to Sinhalese and colombo traitors.
July 24th, 2015 at 5:14 pm
It is said that Sri Lankans have short memories and most of the younger generation will not even know some of these facts. When it comes to Ranil Wickremasinghe he has got away with so many wrong doings it is unthinkable that he can run as a candidate against MR and hope to win. What he did at Batalanda against JVP, what he along with his Uncle did when the 1983 riots happened, the CFA agreement where he gave a free run to the LTTE in the north and east, the way he gave the names of the army long range intelligence team to the public which resulted in the death of all of them by LTTE who hunted them down and killed those brave soldiers. In spite of all this if Ranil W wins then our people really deserve the fate that will befall them. Those who are following Ranil Wickremasinghe for money are no more than political prostitutes. If you want to listen to the truth of how Ranil W saved Prabahakaran in 2001 please watch the attached.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZWO5fWDikQ
July 24th, 2015 at 5:59 pm
Hi Folks, Ranil is the Kankani appointed by the Governor of India Chandrika Bandaranayake Kumaratunga. He does what Indian Empire and Indian Coonial Parasites tell him to do.
July 24th, 2015 at 6:41 pm
Kumari,
Maithripala did provide cover for Ranil with the dissolution of Parliament but is now trying to cover his own tracks by saying he told Ranil to get rid of Mahendran. Because the new 19A gives the power over cabinet appointments to the prime minister, Maithripala does not have any power to fire Mahendran without Ranil’s approval.
July 24th, 2015 at 7:08 pm
MB, Thanks for highlighting. What a sad state of affairs? When Mahinda comes to power must impeach Sirisena and probably remove civic rights of Ranil and Ravi both. All three are traitors to the nation.
July 24th, 2015 at 7:30 pm
Christie, Kumari, MB, SiriH, you guys are living in dream world. RANIL punk, CBK and Sirisens President cannot be impeached. OBAMA WILL NOT ALLOW THAT. YOU GUYS DO NOT KNOW WHO OBAMA IS! This Kenyan he calls father is not his real father.
July 24th, 2015 at 10:31 pm
This Kenyan he calls father is not his real father
PUTHRA- Please no personal attack We all know he is adapted child
OBAMA WILL NOT ALLOW THAT- We-Tamil were used ( trained & wipped out with out blood in their hand) now Obama? using you Sinhala Sakotharaya !
Please DO NOT walk up !!!
July 25th, 2015 at 12:54 am
There is a CONCERTED EFFORT to ONCE AGAIN propagate BAREFACED LIES and UNSUBSTANTIATED DEFAMATORY ALLEGATIONS against President Mahinda Rajapaksa by his opponents on the EVE of theParlamentary ELECTION on August 17, 2015.
One example is the allegation that the Ex-President Mahinda Rajapaksa attempted to hit a man (lated found to be intoxicate) who had grabbed his arm at a recent political rally.
The attitude is: LET us say WHATEVER OUTRAGEOUS LIE we can CONCOCT NOW, and make IMPOSSIBLE ELECTION PROMISES NOW, and somehow WIN the ELECTION, and then we can VANISH into the WOODWORK, where no one will be able to find and hold us responsible … AFTER the ELECTION is won.
That is largely what they did to WIN THE Presidential Election on January 8, 2015 … accusing MR of UNLIMITED CORRUPTION and MINIMIZING his accomplishment on behalf of our Motherland.
We saw that ourselves in the ATROCIOUS BEHAVIOR at LankaWeb of that LTTE Operative LORENZO, now posing as a PATRIOT supporting MR hoping to repeat the process at the last moment. That is WHY I am doing as MUCH as I can to keep our MEMORY of his PREVIOUS ANTICS alive at LankaWeb, as long as he blogs here.
After the Presidency was WON by Somarama Sirisena, much of the 100-day Program that was promised, was been ABANDONED.
Let me ITEMIZE some of these:
1. The financial salary and benefit incentives that were offered to bribe the voters have proved to be impossible to give and maintain in effect, for it would bankrupt the nation … the money is just not there.
2. The promised reduction in the prices of staple foods and other essentials had to be retracted as the costs to government skyrocketed. Now with economic activity in the nation disrupted by all the uncertainty and foolish uncoordinated policies implemented post-election, the inflation in the cost of living is much higher than before. Are the people better off now? No they are not.
3. The Western Powers who egged them on pre-election (read IMF and World Bank) backed-out and denied the loans sought by the UNP govt to replace the Chinese loans they had alleged were obtained at very high interest rates. Now they had to eat crow and keep the loans from China which the UPFA GOSL negotiated at a time NO LENDER would underwrite Sri Lanka’s development at any price.
4. The infrastructure development projects that were halted under various allegations of impropriety and corruption and lacking sound financial planning, are one by one being restarted as they begin to find that those allegations of corruption were false, the plans are economically sound, and by halting them they are putting people (read as VOTERS in the next election) out of work … for no reason … except jealousy and need to undermine MR and the UPFA.
5. They could not carry through most of the “Yahapalanaya” Constitutional Amendments because they simply did not have the necessary votes in the Parliament. In fact, they had to terminate the Parliament early and call for new elections to PREVENT a NO-CONFIDENCE motion against Ranil which would have resulted in his ouster. The UNP in desperation urged Somarama Sirisena to dissolve the Parliament.
6. In particular, Somarama Sirisena who had campaigned for the Presidency saying he DOES NOT WANT TO BE PRESIDENT beyond 100 days NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, and will step down IMMEDIATELY at the end of 100 days, has NOW CHANGED HIS MIND, and is DESPERATELY TRYING to hang on his position, even to the extent of OPPOSING the elimination of the Office of the President. What more can you expect from a hidden BACKSTABBER than a hidden LIAR?
7. Somarama Sirisena now recognizes that with the passage 19th Amendment, he has LOST much of the powers of the Presidency, which have been TRANSFERRED to the position of PRIME MINISTER. Ranil in the meantime is enjoying and exercising those powers, and is quietly PUSHING Somarama Sirisena into powerless impotence by IGNORING him.
Also, if MR captures the PM’s post, Sirisena fears that he will be in a worse pickle …. hence his DESPERATE unsuccessful FIGHT to DENY a SLFP/UPFA Nomination to MR, and THREATS that he will NOT APPOINT MR as the PM no matter how big he wins in the Parliamentary Election. That, by the way, is not his sole prerogative, because the person appointed must be supported by the vast majority of the MP to enable stable governance.
Sirisena would rather survive with Ranil than cope with MR whom he BACKSTABBED after eating Appa with him the night before. Somarama Sirisena is caught between the DEVIL and the DEEP BLUE SEA … the INEVITABLE FATE of all TREACHEROUS DISHONORABLE BACKSTABBERS.
8. In the meantime, it is OPEN power-grabbing SEASON for the Tamil and Muslim separatists, who are happily consolidating their grasp in the land areas where they are local majorities. The TNA is doing everything it can to make their GRASP on the NPC IRRREVERSIBLE … with an eye out for eventual separation from Sri Lanka.
9. The “Yahapalanaya” con artistes who bitterly complained about lack of political freedom and harrasment under the MR/UPFA regime launched an UNPRECEDENTED WITCH HUNT of the leaders of the PREVIOUS REGIME, hitherto never seen in the History of Sri Lankan politics. So much for “Yahaplanaya”!
10. Meanwhile, these very same “Yahapalanaya” miscreants appointed a slew of sleazy people with criminal records and allegations of crimes currently being adjudicated in the courts, to ministries and other important administrative positions. The best example is the Central Bank Governor Mahendran who allegedly started to loot the Central Bank and the National Treasury to benefit his relatives, while dear old Ravi accused of similar crimes, looks the other way. The investigative reports on these crimes are being suppressed and prevented from being released to the public before the upcoming election! They have MUCH TO HIDE …. hence the bitter battle being now fought t hang on to power.
Is this the much balleyhooed YAHAPALANAYA that we were promised? Sounds more like a YAMAPALANAYA!
I can go on and on about the OUTRAGEOUS ANTICS and MONUMENTAL FOLLIES of the players of the Yamapalanaya Bandwagon.
These things MUST BE BROUGHT TO THE ATTENTION of the VOTERS to PREVENT a REPETITION of that DAY OF INFAMY January 8, 2015 due to the UNCHALLENGED DISSEMINATION of MORE LIES to MISLEAD an UNINFORMED and GULLIBLE PUBLIC!
July 25th, 2015 at 1:38 am
As Kumari said he has no grace to fall from. He is a pathetic low life whose middle name is ‘disgrace’
No one does any thing for nothing! and when that applied to Sirisena on the bond scam he must have got his cut for keeping his trap shut. If not he could(should) have appointed a presidential commision to inquire the matter instead of letting the thief himself to do the investigation.
July 25th, 2015 at 2:23 am
Ass miner would not have been able do so much damage to the Sinhalese, Buddhsim and Sri Lanka if he had not been
a catholic. Blame lies fairly and squarely on Sinhalese Buddhists. They still support this traitor chief thinking it is fashionable to support the traitor UNPatriotic party.
His ‘colourful’ cv:
Greatest betrayal of all is, signing pact with Traitors’ Northern Alliance (TNA) and Sri Lanka Multiplying Community
(SLMC) to give separate states after 2015 elections which he has to win at any cost to save his skin
after central bank robbery is proven beyond anybody’s doubt
Signing CFA with barrelman hitler mala paharan to give control of north and the east
Sending millennium city intelligent officers to death
Great Central Bank robbery
Training at Batalande resort to be a butcher (Sinhalese youth only please! red elephant anura kumara my darling)
Throwing away 40,000 Sinhalese families from their homes to please tamils in the east
maru sira’s pick pocket pm and immediately put catholic buddy john a as the police minister,
catholic tiger buddy as cb governor,
catholic chief to the army,
catholic buddy rk with money laundering charges against him as the man in charge of purse strings of the nation
List goes on. Still Sinhalese (mostly Buddhists) support this traitor chief. Sinhalese race is doomed when you have
enemy within like this!
July 25th, 2015 at 2:28 am
Ranil will never resign. Keep dreaming.
If Ranil had any self respect, he would have resigned 10 years ago.
July 25th, 2015 at 3:34 am
Looks like there are lot of here who sucks to Indian Empire, Indian Colonial parasites and vermin. Modi is the man directly behind all these at the moment.
July 25th, 2015 at 5:54 am
We should not sit on our past laurels but cover all aspects. In another article it has been pointed out about Sinhala Christian votes going to UNP. We should address this urgently.If I’m not wrong,Carlo Fonseka who was riding ‘high’ as a rationalist has come down now to become a beloved Christian so MR camp should use him in the forefront of the campaign to get Sinhala Christian votes. Other one is Dayan J who is also in the MR camp.They should be told to address the Christian voters directly & should be seen meeting the Christian clergy & their associations to get the confidence of Christian voters to MR. Are there ministerial candidates who are Christian who should join this crusade. Time to action in every aspect.
July 25th, 2015 at 6:00 am
NAK,
A Presidential Commission is a good idea, and to EMPHASIZE this point for the voters in the August election, a petition calling for a Presidential Commission to investigate and make criminal prosecution referrals regarding the bond fraud and cover-up should be circulated among all current candidates. All candidates not signing the petition can be HIGHLIGHTED for the Sri Lankan voter!