By Customs insider

Speaking at the press briefing after joining SF in the Presidential election campaign Arjuna said that during the time he was with MR administration, he spoke about corruption but those who were responsible for frauds and corruption have neither punished, nor investigated.

FACTS SPEAK FOR THEMSELVES

It seems Arjuna Ranatunga has completely forgotten his past, where the evidence of his dishonesty is freely available in the public domain. During the budget vote in 2007 it was so critical that just one vote could have toppled MRƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s government and at that sensitive hour Arjuna had the audacity threatened to join Ranil, if not President MR agree to appoint him to the chairperson of the cricket board. This action alone speaks of itself about the ArjunaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s dubious conduct and self-seeking attitude.

RANATUNGA HIMSELF IN CENTER OF A REVUEND FRAUD – CASE [CRTF/304/2001]

This is a case where Arjuna Ranatunga was alegedly involved in a Customs revenue fraud ran into Rs 3,256,856.00. He was charged by Customs for importing a luxury Mercedes Benz car defrauding customs duty, abusing a duty free permit issued to a tourist hotle, the Koggala Beach Hotel, Koggla. Aravinda Silva too was charged for a similar fraud, but he immediately pleaded guilty and paid the penalty imposed by Customs.

However, when it came to ArjunaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s case, the Customs Inquiry Officer, Nagananda Kodituwakku, a rare officer with uncompressing approach, was subjected to tremendous pressure to abandon the inquiry. Arjuna had the audacity to speak to the inquiry officer direct over the phone and warn him to abandon the inquiry or face consequences.

On 13th August 2001, when Customs Officers were ordered to seize the vehicle in issue, Arjuna refused to comply and surrender the vehicle. Sarath Jayathilake, then Deputy Director General of Customs, colluded with Arjuna and his father Reggie Ranatunga and the inquiry officer was threatened to abandon the seizure of the vehicle and holding an inquiry into the fraud allegation.

However, the inquiry officer refused to give into the pressure. He went on to hold an inquiry under tremendous pressure. At the inquiry held on 06th September 2001, Ranatunga was dealt with the same way as Aravinda Silva, with a penalty of 4.198,255.00 imposed on Samadara Ranatunga, ArjunaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s wife, who was made a scapegoat to plead guilty at the inquiry.

However, as a result of the firm stand taken in this case, the inquiry officer was never spared and he had to face threat to his life. In the said background he fled the country for good on 23rd September 2001, just within two weeks after the order was made. However, in a statement made to Minihana police on 22nd September 2001, he gave reasons for his exit; stated that he was forced to leave the country due to threat to his life posed by ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-powerful revenue fraudstersƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ backed by their ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-accomplices in the CustomsƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚.

When the media exposed the OfficerƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s sudden exit, some alerted MPs in the opposition raised the matter in the Parliament on 09th October 2001 and accusations were levelled against President CBK, Minister Reggie Ranatunga and certain senior Officials in Customs for forcing the Customs Officer to leave the country.

In reply to these allegations ArjunaƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s father had audacity to make absolutely baseless statement in the Parliament. Reggie Ranatunga hoodwinked the Parliament with utter falsehood. He stated that his ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-childrenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ were never found fault in a revenue fraud by Customs; that Kodituwakku solicited 2.5 million rupees bribe from his ƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ…-childrenƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ”š‚ to drop a false revenue fraud allegation and when the bribe was refused, the officer fled the country in fear of been charged for soliciting a bribe.

PRESIDENT CBKƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢S BLATANT ABUSES OF POWER TO SAVE RANATUNGA

After the Officer left the country the country Ranatunga made an appeal to CBK against the penalty order. That was supported by then the Sarath Jayathilake, who was later appointed to the office of the DGC by CBK. Then on 19-12-2001, under the pretext of acting in the capacity of the Finance Minister CBK called for the fraud inquiry record and nullified the penalty order. Carrying out of her order was another well-calculated deceptive action, because the DGC knew that he could not act on an order by CBK, when she was not the Finance Minister; then her party had been defeated at the election and Chocksy had assumed office as the Finance Minister. When Chocksy was informed about this fraudulent action he called explanation from the DGC as to how he carried out a void order, by CBK without his knowledge and consent.

This piece of writing is purely based on hard facts on record. Arjuna and CBK are invited to challenge this press release if they consider the facts given are wrong. Arjuna now pretends to be clean men. Both him and CBK, another hollow leader, are reminded to be mindful of their own dishonest conduct before accusing others. There are some more to come, which would expose CBKƒÆ’‚¢ƒ¢-¡‚¬ƒ¢-¾‚¢s nudity some with her own hand written unlawful orders given to protect revenue fraudsters. These will appear in public domain when CBK enter the election campaign