• Ports TU’s to submit complaint to President
• State Minister denies allegations, says there was no party
• Claims that he paid for food and beverages served to MP’s who were onboard

The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Aviation is to probe into the incident of a group of Parliamentarians representing the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) having a lavish party in the middle of the sea using two vessels belonging to the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA), only upon the receipt of a complaint, The Daily Morning learns.

Video footage of former President and Prime Minister and incumbent Government MP Mahinda Rajapaksa and several other SLPP MPs including Cabinet and State Ministers enjoying a party aboard a SLPA vessel caused great controversy in the past few days. The circulation of the relevant video footage led to allegations of insensitivity and extravagance, particularly when the people are going through various difficulties in the prevailing economic climate.

The Daily Morning yesterday (15) queried the Secretary to the Ministry, K.D.S. Ruwanchandra as to whether there was any ongoing probe into the incident from the Ministry's end, to which he said that there was no such probe. "There is no investigation into this incident as of now." In response to a query as to whether the Ministry was of the view that the relevant gathering on two vessels was an observation tour as claimed by the State Minister of Ports and Aviation Premalal Jayasekara and the SLPP, Ruwanchandra said: "We can initiate an investigation if there is a complaint, but we haven’t received any."

The controversy surrounding the incident is based mainly on the SLPA’s alleged role in spending for the party, which some uncorroborated reports state is several millions of Rupees and include the provision of food for the party. The trade unions attached to the Colombo Port stated last week that they were in the process of submitting a complaint to President Ranil Wickremesinghe with regard to the said questionable party.

However, State Minister Jayasekara last week denied many of the surrounding claims, and said that the spread of false information was regrettable. He said that the said event was organised because MPs had made a request to observe the activities of the Colombo Port, and that MPs from Opposition parties such as Vijitha Herath from the National People’s Power and Ranjith Maddumabandara from the Samagi Jana Balawegaya had also been invited. He expressed disapproval of a certain trade union leader who he said was spreading inaccurate statements about the cost of the event, and also the person that secretly videoed the event which he noted was attended by a former President and over 20 MPs.