The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara, Attorney-at-Law

¶ 01 Madam Presiding Member, on the Resolution under the Customs Ordinance: a government MP said earlier they have now enabled vehicle purchases. That is not the point. Because of the taxes, Sri Lanka is now the third most expensive country for vehicles. At these prices, who can buy? Your President said he will bring bicycles for youth from Japan. This is a government that has crushed youth’s dreams. It’s not that vehicles can’t be imported—they can—but who can afford them?

¶ 02 On the coal tender: I raised this yesterday too. For international tenders, typically 42 days are allowed and usually called in March–April. But this was dragged to August and given 218 days. The National Procurement Commission’s guidelines have been clearly violated. A company called Potencia crafted qualifications to suit themselves. They were given time to overcome deficiencies by showing delivery of six coal vessels to meet the requirement of previous 0.5 million metric ton deliveries. The tender was extended until this company got its approvals; on 18 August they were approved and the tender published the same day. The Chairman of the Coal Company resigned (Mr. Dias Perera on 17 August) as he would not sign off a corrupt tender. Previously, SUEK was involved, fronted through Black Sand Commodities for Russian supplies. When SUEK ran into issues, Potencia was created. Your government is facilitating this. It is a blatant corruption. Rs. 120 million has changed hands—who took it, which private secretary carried it? If you wish, I can name names.

¶ 03 On Litro Gas there are issues. On Immunoglobulin: the samples failed testing in Sri Lanka; NMRA then withheld it. Later it was declared failed and ordered withdrawn. Yet the supplier produced an Indian certificate and it was reintroduced—despite general practice that Indian products are not tested in India but in a third country like Germany. Now three deaths are reported: K. D. Sujeewa at Colombo North Teaching Hospital, Mr. Nandasena in Kandy, and one earlier in Trincomalee—following administration of the immunoglobulin imported under this government. Who is accountable? NMRA would never allow a withdrawn product to be reintroduced after internal testing. This is more serious than the Keheliya Rambukwella case; here, people have died.

¶ 04 Madam Presiding Member: Time is up.

¶ 05 The Hon. Dayasiri Jayasekara: Please allow one more minute. Tomorrow, Ranil Wickremesinghe has been told to come to the CID. On YouTube I saw “Suda” saying: “If Ranil is not arrested, I will shut down this channel.” This is intimidation of magistrates and law officers. The President said rule of law will prevail. Is this how it is upheld—by threatening arrests publicly? Earlier I spoke about frequent magistrate transfers—another major problem. If a magistrate refuses to amend a charge sheet to suit an arrest of a Minister or questioning, he gets transferred. If rule of law is not genuinely upheld, speeches in this House are useless. Thank you.