(JVP/NPP Leader’s speech on 5th July 2023 at the Adjourned Parliamentary Debate on Second Reading of Anti-Corruption Bill -)
“Our country is under the grip of economic criminals. Even the United Nations Human Rights Commission has mentioned that an economic crime has taken place in Sri Lanka. When these economic criminals are at large, the people of this country have to pay the consequences. Today, working people have to pay a large tax from their salary. Why is it so? It is to pay for the crime committed by these economic criminals. Also, the members must pay compensation from the Employees Provident Fund and Employees Trust Fund; Because of the destruction caused by economic criminals. The average citizen of our country has to face much pressure through rising prices of goods and an unsustainable lifestyle due to the consequences of the destruction done by these economic criminals.
For a long time, our country has been in a state of disaster due to the grip of these economic criminals. Nevertheless, even today, economic criminals are very happy and free to come before society. Some are V.I.P.s, former presidents, former ministers and senior government officials. There is a great expectation and hope in this country to bring to justice these economic criminals who have been dragging our country into this disaster.
A discussion is emerging to bring a new bill. Are the existing laws insufficient or defective? According to the Public Property Act, the Magistrate’s Court has no power to grant bail if damage has been caused to public property of more than Rs.25,000/-. According to the Money Laundering Act, if any citizen cannot disclose the amount of money he has earned and how he earned it, the law has the right to confiscate that property. Also, the Bribery or Corruption Commission Act is a powerful law related to corruption.
Furthermore, there is a criminal act. There is no lack of laws here. We do not oppose bringing in more legislation. Nevertheless, have existing laws weakened? If the existing laws were weak, how could the person who stole eight coconuts go to jail? If the existing laws are weak, how could a police constable be jailed for taking a bribe or a Grama Sewaka be jailed for taking a small bribe? No, only small fry is trapped using the existing laws. The big criminals escape from existing laws because of political power.
This is a vicious ring. There is a large share of political authority in this ring. There are a handful of top officials, a few top men of the police, and a few business people dealing in this corrupt ring. Whether you like it or not, it has to be said that there are a few law enforcers and several media owners in this corrupt ring. It is a corrupt ring built together. How to curb this corrupt ring? A strong political movement is needed to curb this. We would not believe this can only be done by law; we will not fall for that stupid story.
I will give some examples. A person representing this Parliament was bitten by a snake when he was told to come to the Bribery or Corruption Commission to ask him how he earned Rs.400 million. Is it a question of law or a snake problem? They are saved because of politics. Also, a person whom the High Court fined Rs twenty-five million was ordered to pay a compensation of Rs. 2.0 million and bound for four years is appointed as the Chief Government Whip. Is this a question of law? Furthermore, how much did these people shout about the central bank fraud when they were in the opposition? In 2019, a mandate was requested to punish Ranil Wickramasinghe, (Extending his hand to someone in front) he says, “Didn’t you say that there has been a big fraud in the Central Bank and that Ranil Wickramasinghe was involved in it? What has happened now? You are a minister, and the Central bank thief is the President. Is it a problem with this law?
Will Arjun Mahendran be brought to Sri Lanka once this law is passed? That will not happen. Recently, 6.8 million dollars were spent, and garbage was brought as fertilizer. That fertilizer was returned, but the money for it was paid from the treasury. The parliamentarians and ministers who mediated in this affair represent this Parliament. Then they say that they are falsely accused. That is how the corrupt hide their vile agendas. Also, Justice Minister Wijedasa Rajapaksa stated in this Parliament that someone intervened to get 250 million dollars in compensation from the burnt ship. These are corrupt people. The person who was arrested for bringing gold biscuits recently, represents this Parliament. There is a legal problem there. I accept that. However, there is a moral issue. A gold thief is sitting next to my seat. This is not a question of law.
Here is a problem of political culture. We have a parliament that protects criminals, lets them go free, and criminals make laws. There have been people caught at the airport while bringing gold, and the next day they come to Parliament and raise their hands; in this culture, people have been made meek and lowly so that they raise their hands in Parliament for anything their masters say. As such, I do not believe that solutions can be found only through law.
Also, there are ministers and M.P.s in this Parliament who own distilleries and defaulted on tax payments using political power. They do not pay taxes. They have failed to pay taxes not because of a legal issue but because of a political issue.
If an ordinary citizen had taken a small loan from a bank and defaulted, his property would be auctioned by law. But there is a large-scale business group, a group of people who default after taking large amounts from banks. A situation has arisen where their loans are written off based on political blessing. Is there a question of law here? Isn’t it a question of political culture?
Furthermore, I would like to know from you about the Malvane House with large acreage. A big house was built. The land deed was in Thiru Nadeshan’s name. It was confirmed that it belonged to Basil Rajapaksa. A case was filed in the Gampaha court under the Money Laundering Act. How did the case end? The Attorney General’s Department says that evidence will not be called after this. If evidence is not called, there is no case beyond that. That is how the Attorney General’s Department has intervened. Aren’t some cases withdrawn on political interference?
The Bribery or Corruption Commission filed 94 cases in 2019. Four were withdrawn. In 2020, 55 cases were filed. Three cases were withdrawn. 69 cases were filed in 2021. 42 cases were withdrawn. In 2022, 71 cases were filed. 46 cases were withdrawn. On what basis are they withdrawn? They were withdrawn on technicalities. Technicalities are cited as reasons to avoid being found guilty. This is not a question of law. These institutions have been completely seized by politics. How can the Attorney General’s Department, the Attorney General, his Board of Directors and the investigating agencies become political? However, once this government came to power, Shani and others who pursued criminals during the last government were punished and were sentenced to two or three years in prison and carried out a murder plan as well. Where can those officers get protection? As soon as the new government comes, those officers are put in jail, as the involvement of the political authority will be revealed. Is this a legal issue? It is very ugly and dirty politics. Today, the minister is sitting on the chair, thinking how much he could get today.
If the Ministry of Consumer Affairs owns Sathosa, only those around the minister can put goods into Sathosa. Land can be bought from the Minister of Lands only by those who are around the minister. Only those who are close to the finance minister can get a bar license from him. Only those close to the minister can get sand and soil permits from the Minister of Mines. Isn’t that how this political culture is formed? Have you seen economic democracy? Has every businessperson been given the right to compete fairly and enter their merchandise? Is it possible for every citizen to implement a project through government land? The minister is there for that. Those around the Minister of Lands get the land. The one who owns L.R.C. is the one who distributes the land. This is how hundreds of acres of land in Nawalapitiya were divided among companies.
Therefore, this political culture should be changed. The prime minister of Pakistan has gone to jail due to large-scale corruption and fraud. The Prime Minister of Bangladesh has gone to jail. The Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu went to jail. Not even a single local council member in Sri Lanka has gone to jail, even if he was involved in a crime. Is it a matter of law? Governments protect these criminals. Plans are still being made on who to sue, how to file cases, how to conduct investigations.
An economic crime has occurred in our country. Ordinary people have become the biggest victims of that economic crime. A citizen goes to the hospital to get medicine for eye disease. When he comes home with the medicine, the patient becomes blind. They bring old medicine, and when patients die, they come to Parliament and say they have been bringing it for seven years. Is the minister there to say that? Can we expect corruption and fraud to stop from these ministers? Aren’t the Ministers expected to provide a comfortable service to the people?
Our country has been in the grip of economic criminals for a long time. The consequences of this are loss of books for school children, loss of facilities, loss of medicines for the sick, loss of jobs for the youth, lack of proper food for the children, and lack of food for the pregnant mothers. This is not the result of a natural disaster. The wealth coming to the treasury is dumped in millions into the houses of the rulers. The country became poor. The rulers became rich. I want to say in conclusion that a corrupt person never punishes a corrupt person.”