UNP frontliner Dayasiri Jayasekera, MP, yesterday said that a UNP delegation would meet senior officials of the Bribery Commission today (Aug. 17) to press for a thorough inquiry into the import and distribution of low quality petrol.
In a brief interview with The Island over the phone, the UNP reformist emphasised that the Bribery Commission couldn’t ignore their complaint especially in the wake of the government of Sri Lanka facing legal action in overseas courts over controversial hedging deals.
The UNPer said that Petroleum Minister Susil Premjayantha and CPC Chairman Harry Jayewardene had publicly acknowledged that there had been irregularities in the import and distribution of low quality petrol.
Asked whether the UNP had evidence to prove its allegations, the Kurunegala District MP said that the Opposition was confident of moving a case against the government. The MP said that it would be foolish for the government to believe it could get away by forcing the Petroleum Secretary to accept the blame.
Jayasekera said that they wouldn’t allow the ongoing struggle within the UNP over the leadership issue to undermine their battle against waste, corruption and irregularities in the public sector. According to him, those at the helm at the Petroleum Ministry and the CPC had created an artificial shortage to facilitate the import of a stock of petrol outside tender procedure.
The MP said that the government’s triumph over the LTTE in May 2009 was no excuse for the ongoing spree of corrupt deals.
“In spite of the conclusion of the conflict, the people hadn’t received any tangible relief due to corruption and mismanagement of the economy.
Unfortunately people hadn’t exercised their franchise prudently to express their anger. They have another opportunity when 23 local government bodies, including Colombo Municipal Council go to polls in a couple of weeks,” Jayasekera said.
He said that President Mahinda Rajapaksa should take the blame for the deteriorating financial discipline, though he boasts of tight control over the economy. The UNPer alleged that the petrol scam was only the tip of the iceberg.
The UNP plans to launch a high profile campaign targeting government corruption. “We’ll take them on both in and outside parliament. We are also in the process of working on several other cases, including the ongoing crisis over shortage of cement and the import of sub standard stocks,” the MP said.