brand logo

Sports Ministry unaware of Olympic delegation funding

29 Jul 2021

  • Secretary claims Namal not paid by Ministry 
  • MPs’ code of ethics on sponsorship declaration violated: SJB 
  • Official probe into D.V. Chanaka, T. Vidanagamage, R. Ranasinghe: Keheliya 
BY Buddhika Samaraweera The Youth and Sports Ministry claimed yesterday (28) that it is not aware as to who is bearing the expenses of the Ministerial delegation that travelled to Japan for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but said that no money had been paid for Minister of Youth and Sports Namal Rajapaksa's visit through the Youth and Sports Ministry. “I do not know who paid for the other State Ministers,” Youth and Sports Ministry Secretary Anuradha Wijekoon said when contacted by The Morning. State Ministers D.V. Chanaka, Thenuka Vidanagamage and Roshan Ranasinghe left for Japan last week along with Rajapaksa to witness the ongoing Olympic Games. Chanaka is the Aviation and Export Zones Development State Minister, Vidanagamage is the Rural and School Sports Infrastructure Improvement State Minister and Ranasinghe is the Provincial Councils and Local Government State Minister. Main Parliamentary Opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian and Chief Opposition Whip Lakshman Kiriella said yesterday (28) that action could be taken against these State Ministers as per the code of ethics for MPs. Adding that a MP is expected to inform the Parliament if they receive some benefit from anyone, even from the private sector, Kiriella added that the State Ministers in question should have informed the Parliament if they were sponsored by someone. A discussion has begun as to the basis on which the relevant State Ministers had left for that visit and as to who had borne the expenses related to them. Meanwhile, Cabinet Spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella, on 27 July, said that a probe would be commenced into the matter. Speaking at the weekly Cabinet media briefing in Colombo, he added that the probe would look into the purpose of their visit to Japan, whilst noting that Rajapaksa was attending it in his official capacity as the subject Minister. When queried about the expenses for the said State Ministers visit, Rambukwella noted: “My understanding is that they have been sponsored by a certain non-Governmental organisation (NGO) and that the Government has not spent any money on it”. On 22 July, Rajapaksa, on his official Facebook page, had posted that he was about to head off to Japan to support the Sri Lankan contingent. He had also mentioned that he was looking forward to holding bilateral meetings there.  


More News..