No Confidence Motion

"You must not destroy upcoming young people"

R. Sampanthan (TULF - Trincomalee District).

This particular issue has to be taken up in its totality without clinging to straws. The CEO of Telecom was accused of crediting a sum of Rs 270,000 on the personal account of the minister.

We stand for probity in public life which is essential for the effective function of organizations. Mr. Samaraweera has conducted himself with a degree of rectitude with regard to these matters. The member who moved the motion with a great deal of zeal did not refer to any skeletons in the cupboard hidden by Mr. Samaraweera, which provides ample proof that he does not have any.

The manner in which the motion was presented with a great deal of venom showed that the intention was to sling mud. While much needs to be done with regard to the national question with an equal degree of zeal as in the manner these mud slinging speeches are organised. We therefore do not support this motion and are opposed to it.

Speaker referring to the point of order by Mr. Anura Bandaranike said: Standing orders prevent reference been made to members sitting but they could refer to the previous holder of office and the period of the member without mentioning the name references to sitting members will be expunged.

Karunasena Kodithuwakku (UNP — Colombo District). No confidence motion is a vital part of parliamentary democracy, a process which ensures the transparency in the function of public bodies. This is not a personal attack against him. It is also noteworthy that the whole issue is centred around a credit card. 65% of the public organizations under consideration is owned by the public. It is the public funds that are under question. It is important that expenditure made on the public's account should be revealed in detail.

The Minister has used credit cards from 1996. These two credit cards according to Mr. Kamitsuma's letter has been issued for a month.

The Finance Ministry stipulations are violated by the issue of these two cards under a very short period. While the expenditure under one card has exceeded the limit, another credit card was issued. The ministers are entitled to 50% more than what is given to Grade 1 executives during foreign travel. These rates are sufficient for a minister touring abroad. Did other ministers travelling abroad apply for credit cards? This is inviting a corrupt tradition?

NTT is seeking to obtain another 10% of Telecom. You are under obligation to Mr. Kamitsuma and he is issuing payments.

S. Siddharthan (PLOTE — Vanni District). The amount in question is a sum of rupees. 270,000. If the Minister is interested he can plunder millions. He is a member who has no communal bias and is committed to the resolution of the ethnic issue with great deal of sincerity.

Mahinda Rajapakse (Minister of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources). Mr. Samaraweera has an impressive academic record and is the youngest member of Parliament. Is it surprising that enemies are waylaid by the dozen trying to put an end to his meteoric rise?

I will refrain from mentioning names as the Standing Orders regulate but isn't your party reeking with corrupt members? The UNP organiser for Hambanthota has been alleged of many crimes including the theft of the Mulkirigala Painting in the President's House.

Ranil Wickremasinghe: There are no charges against Sajith Premadasa.

Chair: Mervyn Silva is like the proverbial prawn. The Sunday Leader that leads you contained all these information?

According to the article in the ‘Silumina’ we say we have not taken a cent from public funds.

Tyronne Fernando (UNP — Colombo District). Kamitsuma's letter gives evidence to the contrary. His statement to the ‘Sunday Leader’ says that the funds were allocated pending approval of the Telecom to avoid delay.

A cirular issued states the President's directive through B. C. Perera clamps down on such arrangements. The circular states that ministers are prohibited from augmenting public funds for their functions as ministers, which includes foreign travel. The argument that the amount concerned is a miniscule where the minister could have exploited millions, is besides the point. Also the fact that he is 99 percent committed to solving burning issues is also besides the point. It is the 1 percent that is posing a threat. We urge everyone to persuade the minister to resign.

P. P. Devaraj (CWC) — Colombo District) said: This issue should not have been brought before the House as a no-confidence motion. The matters in issue could have been discussed at other levels such as the Consultative Committee. Even a question could have been asked.

We respect persons of both sides. But it pains me to see an efficient minister like Mr. Samaraweera being subjected to this kind of no-confidence debate.

D. M. Jayaratne, Minister of Agriculture and Land Development said: The UNP should avoid sordid acts like condemning an efficient minister as Mangala Samaraweera.

You must not destroy upcoming young people like Mr. Samaraweera.

S. Sivadasan (EPDP - Jaffna District) I don't understand why such a hue and cry is made over such a trivial sum.

The speaker before me pointed out that it is not the amount but the conduct of the Minister.

The people of Jaffna are thankful to the Minister for restoring the telecommunication system in the area. The Minister is also thanked for spear-heading the Sudu Nelum Movement that has done much service to restoring civilian rule in Jaffna especially the Jaffna Library. We are opposed to this motion.

E. A. Samarasingha (PA - Matara District) The party that has put forward this no confidence motion, was functioning at one time under the leadership of J. R. Jayewardene. Most of these members were leading very comfortable lives incurring expenses beyond the limits of their personal budget.. K. M. de Silva's book amply illustrates the indulgent practices of the UNP members who led luxurious lives. There are many other books referring to the previous regime that exploited public funds.

The members who are moving this motion turn each time they bring up a fact to their fellow member Rajitha Senaratna who is leading this motion.

The Minister doesn't own a house yet. We regret the fact that the Minister's lawful actions have been wrongfully interpreted and state our confidence in him.

Gen. Anuruddha Ratwatte, Minister of Irrigation and Power and Deputy Minister of Defence said: The movers of the motion have no independent evidence to substantiate their charges against the Minister.

There was an allegation that the credit card has been used to view even blue films. How do you substantiate this charge?

Interpol has conducted investigations into the allegation after I informed them following the Ministers complaint to me.

They wanted a regulatory commission, a document that enabled them to conduct investigations at the various levels. The Attorney General has sent the document.

The Interpol has also informed that anybody could have access to Internet facilities to view blue films it one knows the number of a credit card.. The investigations are on and very soon everybody would know from where the alleged use of the Internet facility originated.

I am the first person to come before the House and tell the House if the Minister has used the credit card to view blue films. But nobody knows for certain who had access to Internet.

You must not sling mud without knowing your facts.. It not sufficient to rely on newspapers and hearsay, alone. You must have concrete evidence.

I am a victim of attempts to incriminate me falsely. I have climbed the steps of the CID to answer false charges. Every time I was taken to court I was acquitted for want of evidence.

Some UNP speakers would not speak in support of the motion if they knew the facts.

S. B. Dissanayake (Minister of Samurdhi Youth Affairs and Sports) Mr. Deputy Speaker I would like to categorically state to the House that Minister Mangala Samaraweera did not use more than Rs. 500,000/- travellers cheques. Earlier 60 lakhs were allocated per year through the ministry. After our govt. came in, it was reduced to 5 lakhs.

When I go abroad I take travellers cheques and if there is a hotel bill that has to be settled. I pay it out of my credit card. When we return, we have to do the accounts properly.

Mr. Anuruddha Ratwatte mentioned about the use of the Internet. This was done only after the 10th of May. We will find out who did this. I take responsibility in saying I feel somebody else has used this card to view pornography and is blaming Mangala Samaraweera for this. How can they be sure that it was pornography that was being viewed unless they did it themselves and shifted the blame on to Mr. Mangala Samaraweera.

There were also people who had the information about what was purchased using the credit card.

There was a great attempt during the postal strike to bring disrepute to the Minister. This Minister has taken steps to safeguard the people of this country and promote peace through the Sudu Nelum Movement. The dignity of the House is tarnished with this no confidence motion as it is only an opportunity to sling mud. We could also bring out a no confidence motion against the Leader of the Opposition about the torture chamber. We know what was done by the opposition during the elections. We have the fullest confidence in our Minister.

Nihal Galappaththi (SLPF - Hambantota District) said: The PA, which came into power after defeating the murderous UNP promised in its manifesto to eliminate bribery and corruption from the society. This was a solemn pledge.

The House during the four years past heard the many allegations of bribery and corruption against the ministers of the present government.

Kamitsuma's cheque was returned by the Bank of Ceylon because there was no money in his account. Can you believe this. No. Kamitsuma, transferred money from his account to another account to systematically make ineffective his own attempts to pay up Mangala Samaraweera's credit card dues. They are the people who bought Telecom. It is difficult to believe that the account of the chief executive of SLT should run dry all of a sudden.

My complaint is against the persons who carry on the struggle against bribery and corruption, today. Those who had been notorious violaters of all rights of the people carry on the crusade against bribery and corruption.

John Amaratunga (UNP, Gampaha District) said: Without the pass-word, the mere possession of the number of a credit card, cannot have access to Internet.

The Minister is accused of viewing blue films using funds from a credit card. He has bills to that effect. So the charge against him stands until it is proved that somebody else has actually used the credit card.

The Minister if he believes that the password to have access to Internet has gone into someone else's hands he should council it. I don't think the Minister has done so even today.

The Minister, by his behaviour relating to the credit card violated the conduct of Members of Parliament.

The government has failed to disprove that any of the charges leveled against the Minister and the Minister stands charged.

There is no debate on the settlement of the credit card dues by Mr. Kamitsuma. He has admitted it in public.

If the Minister has reported to the CID about the porno allegation, we would have waited till the CID report is received, if the Minister informed us about it. He never did so.

When we go before aid group meetings it is the Japanese who always accuse developing countries of having bad governance and so refuse aid.

They are now paying the Minister after buying 35 per cent of the Telecom shares for a song.

I call upon the Minister to resign from his post. Or in the alternative the President should dissolve Parliament.

JEYARAJ FERNANDOPULLE, Minister of Plan Implementation and Parliamentary Affairs said: Several No-confidence motions were brought before Parliament during the current sessions. These motions were brought forward by persons who are corrupt to the core. They were persons who have encashed forged cheques. They have robbed other peoples land and forged title deeds.

There had been attempts to launch a scurrilous paper campaign against Minister Samaraweera. Such papers were taken into custody at Panadura.

These scurrilous papers have been transported in a vehicle belonging to one of the movers of the no-confidence motion.

The credit card dues have still not been paid. Kamitsuma has not paid it. The money is still a debt. There is no offence committed. To make the transaction an illegal one, money should be paid in settlement. This has not happened. So there is no offence.

How can you supply dental material to government institutions? This is a abuse of power. Use of a credit card is not an offence.

Rajitha Senaratne has told "The Sunday Leader" that the government has not allowed a televised debate.

Senaratne is a junior member of Parliament. Had a senior member asked for a televised debate the government would have allowed. Seniors of the UNP knew that this debate is being moved by certain sections.

There is still time for the UNP to withdraw the No-confidence motion. I hope the UNP will do it.

RAJITHA SENARATNA (UNP) (National List) The Minister could not prove any of the allegations false!

The spendings from the cards was suspended when the truth came to light via the papers. There are 2 years of bills that has to be shown. He told the 'Times' paper that he spent 5 lakhs abroad. He violated circulars.

"Kamitsuma allowed one month for official spending." He said there was separate ruling for private spending. The Minister said the card cannot be exploited by others. Now he says they can.

The CID report shows that the web site was entered by the officials of the Telecom. Details other than the credit card number is necessary to access these sites. The 'Sunday Leader' he said will accept the challenge and we agree that you have plundered public funds.

"A British Prime Minister Attlee, said that if such practices should be thoroughly examined." The founder of the SLFP S. W. R. D. Bandaranaike, who moved a motion against Mr. Gunasekara in 1943, said that if there is even a slight trace of corruption, action will be taken and the member concerned should resign. Is this the conduct of the government of Mrs. Bandaranaike?

"Even the AG of this country admits in an interview with the 'Sunday Leader' that this is a case that should be put before the Bribery & Corruption Commission."

Mr. Senaratne said that the House has been misled "As Peter Keuneman accused Mahanama Samaraweera of misleading the House when a no confidence motion was brought against him. The son now accuses that this motion was contrived by the UNP and the Buddhist clergy.

I should say that you have woven a web of deceit by deceiving others."

Parliament on Wednesday