By Nirmala Kannangara
Startling revelations have surfaced as to how the former Monitoring MP of the External Affairs Ministry, Sajin de Vass Gunawardena engaged in lavish spending of public funds during overseas tours. It is also alleged that Gunawardena had travelled to Dubai on personal business tours in the guise of ‘official’ visits using public funds.
Gunawardena, who is now under remand custody for allegedly misusing state resources during the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime, is said to have controlled the External Affairs Ministry work sidelining the then Minister Prof. G. L. Peiris.
Sajin de Vass Gunawardena is known to be a controversial politician and a businessman.
Before entering parliament in 2010, former President Mahinda Rajapaksa appointed him as the CEO of Mihin Lanka – the Rajapaksa government sponsored budget airline. He also served as the coordinating secretary to Rajapaksa on trade and foreign affairs during the latter’s tenure as President.
Gunawardena, who was involved in several controversies, was widely criticized for his role as CEO of Mihin Lanka as he was held responsible for the bankruptcy and financial misfortune of the budget airline.
He started his career as a wharf clerk at Trico International and was based in Dubai assisting VIPs with their formalities.
While at Mihin Lanka as its CEO, Gunawardena owned a Singaporean Company TPL-Inter Pvt Ltd and Mihin Lanka had allegedly given a mandate to this company to provide ground handling work for them. It is reliably learnt that this company procured ground handling equipment on outright payment and leased them to Mihin Lanka for Colombo operations at USD 223,000 per month.
Gunawardena has also been accused of fraud, unpaid loans, criminal records and unfulfilled promises and is alleged to have accumulated large assets when he did not have any inherited wealth or a good income to acquire such an enormous wealth.
Questions have also been raised as to how Gunawardena earned money to purchase a 4R RVG Cessna 152 for US$ 46,900 on June 10, 2014 while a used 4R AVG Cessna 172 was purchased on January 15, 2014 for US$ 60,000, a 4R TDA Cessna 152 aircraft was purchased for US$ 38,000, a 4R SAV RA 34 200T for US$ 80,000 and a 4R SAK Robinson 66 for USD 1,000,000.
Be that as it may, The Sunday Leader is now in possession of all documents to prove how Gunawardena had spent tax payers’ hard earned money to wine and dine in the most prestigious restaurants in the world whilst on official tours.
While there were no specific duties assigned for a Monitoring MP (MMP), parliament had not passed any budgetary allocations for an MMP. The MMP had to use funds allocated to the Ministry with the authorization of the subject minister.
Gunawardena, during his tenure as MMP of the External Affairs Ministry, had travelled overseas on 21 occasions from January 2014 to January 2015. Other than on two occasions, the former MMP had travelled overseas 19 times alone and had spent lavishly for cocktails, hard liquor, movies and on entertainment with the tax payers’ money.
According to the former MMP’s foreign visit details, he was in Dubai from July 9, 2014 till July 13, 2014, said to be a stay on transit. However he was also on a state visit to Washington from July 11, 2014 till July 19, 2014.
“How could he be in Dubai and in Washington on July 11, 12 and 13? When the payment vouchers came to the External Affairs Ministry, why couldn’t they find out about this grave swindle and questioned Vass Gunawardena?” a former official attached to the Foreign Ministry said.
Gunawardena had spent public money on unknown expenses to the tune of Rs. 2.77 lakhs in Dubai from July 9-13, 2014 and another Rs. 6.068 million during his visit to Washington DC during the same period. Reports further state that Gunawardena had spent US$ 2,079, equivalent to SL Rs. 2.77 lakhs during his four-day stay in Dubai, UAE and US$ 32,088, equivalent to SL Rs. 6.068 million on his entire tour to Washington DC accompanied by the Chief of Protocol Majintha Jayesinghe for a meeting with the US officials, Congress staff, media and PR companies hired by the government of Sri Lanka.
On his tour to Washington, Gunawardena had spent US$ 13, 538.01 for accommodation and another US$ 32,088.60 as ‘other’ expenses.
“Although during former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge’s tenure, when the services of foreign Public Relations Companies were taken, the process went on transparently and the Foreign Ministry officials knew what was going on and how much they were paid. It was not the same during the Rajapaksa regime and especially under the former MMP Gunawardena, who hired these media and Public Relation Companies to promote the country in the USA in the backdrop of allegations of human rights violations faced by the country. Three Public Relations Companies such as Liberty International, Beltway Government Strategies and Thompson Advisory Group were hired by Sajin Vass Gunawardena and millions of public money was spent even without the knowledge of the Foreign Ministry. These PR agencies once disclosed that their client was Gunawardena and the local address given as 9/2, Dudley Senanayake Mawatha, Colombo 8. It was the address of Cosmos Aviation which was owned by Gunawardena and how could the former MMP give one of his personal addresses as an address of a government office,” sources alleged.
According to the former MMP’s foreign visit details, Gunawardena was in New York from September 20, 2014 till 28, 2014 and was also in Washington DC from September 21 to 28, 2014.
“According to the reports, Gunawardena had been in New York from September 20 till 28, 2014 as a VVIP at the 69th United Nations General Assembly and had spent US$ 20,802.07 for hotel accommodation and another US$ 7,616.36 for ‘other’ expenses which are unknown and the total amount was US$ 28,418.43, equivalent to SL Rs. 3.779 million. For his Washington tour, which he had undertaken during the same period, the government spent another US$ 8,146.66 as hotel accommodation and US$ 27,087.06 as ‘other’ expenses amounting to US$ 35,233.72, equivalent to SL Rs. 4.686 million. Whose money had he spent lavishly? Was it from his personal accounts or the state accounts,” sources added.
Meanwhile, questions have also been raised as to why Gunawardena continued to stay in Dubai for two or more days claiming it was a stay during transit. Gunawardena had stayed two days in Dubai from March 2- 3, 2014 en-route to Geneva, Switzerland to attend the UNHRC 25th Session. It is surprising to note that Gunawardena had stayed these two days in transit in Dubai spending SL Rs.54,900 when Dubai is a center point and has frequent flights from many airlines to any part of the world.
“Gunawardena as known to everyone is a businessman and in the guise of official tours, may have visited Dubai for his business work. If one goes through his travel itineraries carefully, anyone can see how he had stayed in Dubai for over two days en-route to another country. Dubai is a center place where you can secure flights to any destination more frequently. If the former MMP was travelling via Dubai, he would have taken a connecting flight to the destination within a few hours,” sources added.
The total expense of Gunawardena’s tour to Geneva, Switzerland for the UNHRC 25th Secession was US$ 131,741.52 equivalent to SL Rs. 16.774 million.
In another instance, although the Indian government had spent for Gunawardena’s official visit to New Delhi from May 25-27, 2014 as a member of the VVIP delegation to India, the former MMP had still spent Rs. 17,813 for an unknown reason claiming as ‘other’ expenses.
In addition, it has also come to light as to how the External Affairs Ministry has had to pay Rs. 55,000 to hire a BMW 730Li during the MMP’s transit stay in Dubai on March 3, 2014 including the chauffeur charges and departure transfers. The limousine had been hired from Privilege – the luxury car transport company in Dubai, UAE. Another Rs. 2.13 lakhs had been paid by the Ministry as hiring charges for a BMW 730Li from March 22 to 25, 2014 once again to Privilege Car Transport Company in Dubai, UAE. Another chauffeur driven BMW 7 Series (2014 model) had been hired from July 9 to 12, 2014 from Sundial Tourism in Dubai, UAE during transit stay.
“If there is a delay in the connecting flight, the airline provides hotel accommodation, food and transport from the airport to the hotel and back. However, in Gunawardena’s case, the traveller had to pay for transportation and during his entire stay in Dubai he has hired a limousine to go about from government expense,” sources alleged.
During Gunwardena’s visit to New York from September 20 – 28, 2014, the MMP had stayed at one of the world’s foremost grand hotels – the Waldorf Astoria. Although the MMP was in New York to attend the UNGA, Gunawardena had been watching movies once again with the tax payers’ money.
The Sunday Leader is in possession of the hotel bills that shows that the former MMP had spent US$ 77.97 to watch three movies on September 23, 2014, US$ 17.99 to watch another movie on September 24, 2014 and US$ 59.98 to watch two movies on September 25 and 27, 2014 all amounting to SL Rs. 20,864.
It has also been revealed as to how Gunawardena, while staying in Washington DC from September 21 to 28, 2014 during his tour to accompany the President at the UNGA, had hired a SUV 31 vehicle from September 21 to 25 from Air, Sea, Land travels and Tours, New York which has cost US$ 37,328.58 equivalent to SL Rs.4.99 million.
“According to his travel itinerary, he was both in New York and Washington during the same period. If so how could he use a SUV 31 continuously? It is up to the present Foreign Affairs Minister Mangala Samaraweera to investigate in to these discrepancies and bring the culprit to book,” sources claimed.
Meanwhile, Gunawardena has also come under severe criticism for the alleged misappropriation of public funds by spending US$ 30,936.24, US $ 9,500, US$ 22,460.31 and US$ 7,600 as entertainment costs during his visits to Los Angeles from April 22 to 27, 2014, Washington DC from August 26 to 29, 2014, Washington DC from September 18 to 28, 2014 and Washington DC from November 15 to 17, 2014 respectively. The total cost spent on entertainment on the said four occasions was SL Rs. 9.432 lakhs.
Gunawardena’s food and beverage bills in Wsahington and New York clearly show how he had spent tax payers’ money for expensive hard liquor to pamper his friends and himself.
During his visit to Washington in July last year, the bill for Morton the Steakhouse on July 14, 2014 was US$ 3,627 for 15 guests and has ordered JW Black (whisky) – US$ 24, Tanqueray (Gin) – US$ 33.75, Bombay Rocks (Gin) US $ 11.50, Hendrick’s Rocks US $ 13.75, Balvenie 12 (whisky) US$ 13, Glenfiddich 15yrs (whisky) US$ 16, Hendrick’s Martini (whisky) US $ 16, Patron Silv Margaritta (gin) US$ 16, Patron Silv Margarita (Tequila) US$ 16, Grey Goose (vodka) US $ 12.75, Grey Goose Rocks (vodka) US $ 520, and JW Black Rocks (whisky) US $ 13.75.
The bill at BLT Steak in Washington DC dated July 16; bill for 12 guests was US$ 2729.50. According to the detailed bill, Gunawardena had ordered BA Negroni (cocktail) US $ 280, Tanqueray (gin) US $ 10, Bulliet Bourbon (whisky) US $ 11, Bulleit Rye Manhattan (whisky) US $ 12, Glen livet 12 Yrs (whisky) US $55, balvenie (whisky) US $ 80 and Wagyu Tasting (a beef dish where the cow was well fed with grain) US $ 150.
At Joe’s Seafood in Washington the bill was US$ 4,790 and had ordered Caymus (wine) US $ 810, Sancerre (wine) US $ 112, Patron 1 Neat (tequila) US $ 117, Macallan 12 4 Neat ((whisky) US $ 84, Crown Royal (whisky) US $ 33, High West Rye 2 Neat (whisky) US $ 20, Jameson (whisky) US$ 30 and Grey Goose 1 (whisky) US $ 36.
In another bill with a sub total of US $ 3,500, two glasses of 100 year cognac had been ordered for US $ 390 and for Banfi Brunello di Montalc (wine) US $ 616.
It is also interesting to note how Gunawardena was tempted to satisfy his taste buds by ordering the special Wagyu – beef where the cattle has been well fed with grain. Wagyu Rib Eye US $ 234, A5 NY (Special Japanese Wagyu) US$ 288 and US$ 144 and Pieve STA Restit (wine) US$ 825. Although the sub total of this bill was US $2,771 only US$ 1,072 had been spent on food and the rest was on liquor.
The Sunday Leader is also in possession of all details of the Presidential Secretariat vehicles, which has been misused by Vass Gunawardena which will be exposed later.
Although the Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maheshini Colonne was contacted for an official comment on whether Sajin Vass Gunawardena’s foreign bills have been settled and other details, The Sunday Leader was asked to send the questions to her official e-mail.
Although an e-mail was sent to Colonne, a reply was not received till this paper went for publication.
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