ECONOMYNEXT – Chairman of Sri Lanka Parliament’s Committee on Public Finance, Harsha de Silva is under threat over examining a controversial visa deal involving IVS-GBS, VFS Global, opposition leader Sajith Premadasa said.
De Silva said he had come under severe pressure including from members of parliament after he started examining the controversial visa deal.
“This is a serious matter,” Premadasa said. “Now what is happening? Members representing the government are threatening him when he is examining the VFS deal. How can that happen?
“On the other side they are using ‘slaves’ to plant stories that he is covering it up. Do you know that the damage caused by this deal is bigger than the central bank bond deal?” he asked the speaker.
“Government legislators threatening the COPF Chairman has to be immediately stopped.”
Speaker Mahinda Abeywardene said he had yet to receive a complaint and asked who had threatened him.
De Silva said he had not been told to his face he will be killed in so many words.
“There are invisible hands at work. I am saying there is a threat to my life. If you are in my shoes you will realize.
“This is something running into billions of dollars. If I am killed on the road, remember that I said this today, the people behind this will be responsible,” de Silva said.
Speaker Abeywardene requested de Silva to give details and said he can take action.
“This is a very serious matter that has been raised,” opposition legislator Mujiber Rahuman said.
“It is not necessary to say ‘I will kill you’. It is serious enough when he is told ‘Don’t examine this’. That is an indirect threat. These are people who have taken money from VFS. That is why I am asking Mr Speaker to increase his security.”
De Silva said he had been removed from the post before, including when he stopped a large transaction involving a high priced coal.
“What am I told to do? Am I being told to cover up fraud and corruption?
“If you want, remove me again, but don’t tell me not to look into this.”
Excessive work, working with only three analysts, whose salaries he sometime had to pay, was putting his blood pressure up, he said. (Colombo/June07/2024)