Daily News Editorial

An unlikely ally to the defense of Tilak

Wednesday 11th November 2015

The beleaguered former Minister of Law and Order Tilak Marapana has found an unlikely ally in former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. MR has described his Parliamentary colleague from the UNP as an honest politician. The reason. Marapana, in the words of Rajapaksa ‘has spoken the truth about the Avant Garde issue in Parliament. Speaking to an English daily Rajapaksa said “If the Minister of Law and Order, the Justice Minister and the Attorney General are speaking the truth, what others are talking about Avant Garde is nonsense”. This is with reference to Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe too taking a similar stand to that of Marapana on Avant Garde although the AG’s role in the matter is still unclear.

The Avant Garde issue has certainly stirred a hornets’ nest among the Government ranks, with the Cabinet too divided on the matter. However Minister Dr. Rajitha Senaratne, Champika Ranawaka and Arjuna Ranatunga are of one voice that the whole affair was corrupt and illegal and it was incumbent on the Government to get to the bottom of the matter and punish the offenders, if it is to maintain its credibility in the eyes of the public since the Yahapalanaya government was elected on a platform of going after the mega corrupt of the last regime. It is significant that this trio were among the first lot to walk out from the last Government along with the Common Candidate, having had a ringside view of the rampant corruption that was taking place. Hence their strong stand on punishing the corrupt.

President Sirisena on his part has sought to douse the flames by agreeing to appoint a Committee comprising all parties in addition to experts, to go into the Avant Garde issue. This no doubt will settle the issue with the warring parties in the Cabinet since claims of bias now cannot be made.

In the meantime the Avant Garde issue has come like manna from heaven to the Opposition backing Rajapaksa in Parliament and given them some breathing space to sow the deeds of doubt among the general public that other allegations of corruption leveled at the previous regime too were similarly tainted. Rajapaksa’s comments to the English daily also conveys this impression. Therefore it is up to the Government to ensure that on no account should corruption probes be allowed to be derailed. Attempts will be made by the pro Rajapaksa Opposition to draw a Red Herring by citing the Avant Garde matter, to hoodwink the public. The resignation of Tilak Marapana no doubt will be grist to mill for this campaign to portray to the public that all accusations made against the former regime were without basis.

Marapana’s resignation has already being interpreted in various ways. As averred by Rajapaksa the resignation was prompted by honesty, meaning that there was nothing wrong with Avant Garde. Marapana himself has conceded that he will not be party to a conflict of interest claim, being legal counsel to the Company, while the probe continues. He (Marapana) should be commended for even belatedly stepping down, even though his connection with Avant Garde company was an open secret. This has now given the Government an open field to proceed with the probes, with claims of pressure on the AG’s Department also now out of the way. This will also now give the Government the opportunity to go ahead in earnest in its corruption probes which have been stymied to some extent due to uncertainty in the legal position to prosecute such cases.

Setting a thief to catch a thief?

It is being reported that 47 Ministries are going to be monitored by the Joint Opposition in Parliament. It has been pointed out this would not be a difficult task since there are nearly 50 members in the Joint Opposition, read the Pro-Rajapaksa Opposition. In other words the Joint Opposition is going to form itself into a Shadow Cabinet to probe the doings in the Ministries including corruption. While the bulk of the Ministries are held by the UNP, SLFP members too have been entrusted with important portfolios in the current National Government. Among them are those who were die hard supporters of Mahinda Rajapaksa at both the Presidential and General Elections. It would be interesting to see how members of the Shadow Cabinet are going to probe their erstwhile colleagues who were on the same stage under the banner “Mahinda Samaga Negitimu” let us rise with Mahinda. No doubt this indeed is a welcome move where Ministries are being subject to close monitoring, always considering that what is at stake are public funds. By the same token it is an open secret that there are grave allegations of mega corruption leveled against some of the members who will be in the Shadow Cabinet. Among them are individuals accused of illegal import of ethanol and running clandestine distilleries. At least three of them have already made trips to the Special Presidential Commissions probing corruption. How credible will the findings of these members be of the Ministries they have been called upon to oversee. Or is it going to be a case of setting a thief to catch a thief?