From where are these funds?

by Namini Wijedasa

Rejecting flaming criticism that President Mahinda Rajapaksa was abusing public funds to host thousands of people to food and drink at various venues - including Temple Trees - the Presidential Secretariat issued a press release explaining its position.
Lucien Rajakarunanayake, director of policy research and information at the Presidential Secretariat, e-mailed the following last week:

Media Release
No misuse of funds for election purposes

We refer to some media reports alleging the misuse of public funds for the campaigns of candidates in the current Presidential Election.
The allegations mainly refer to meals given at state expense, use of official vehicles and state buildings etc. for the campaign purposes of candidates. Reference has also been made to the meals provided at the functions held at Temple Trees.
The Presidential Secretariat wishes to state that no public funds have been used for such expenses for the re-election campaign of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. All expenses for meals and related costs for the recent functions held at Temple Trees have been met by political party funds and voluntary contributions from well wishers.
The Presidential Secretariat requests all individuals and organizations to refrain from making such baseless allegations without verification of facts.

Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 01
December 28, 2009

We wrote the following email in response to the press release:

Dear Mr Rajakarunanayake,

Thanks so much for this clarification.
For my part, I am certainly delighted to see that public funds are not being used for the meals that were provided to various categories of people at Temple Trees and at other venues. As you know, it would have been terribly immoral and frightfully improper, as well as corrupt, to have used public funds for that kind of electioneering so it is a relief to hear that the money used were party funds and donations from well wishers.
We at LAKBIMAnEWS would like to give the widest possible publicity to the fact that no public funds were used for these functions. This sort of statesmanship should not only be highlighted but openly commended.
However, we have one small problem. Just as it is not possible to take allegations of financial impropriety at face value, it is not possible to take at face value the claim that only party funds and donations from well wishers were used.
Could you please, therefore, send us the following details/photocopies:
List of donors (well wishers) and the amounts of their donations
Proof of use of party funds
Receipts for payments
Any other information relevant to this story

I’m sure there would be no difficulty in your accessing this information and we will be delighted to make this public. Transparency has, after all, always been a hallmark of President Mahinda Rajapaksa’s politics.

Kind regards,
Namini

On Saturday morning, Mr Rajakarunanayake in a telephone call made to this reporter said his statement had been referring solely to the fact that “no public funds were received or spent by the presidential secretariat” to meet the cost of the functions.
However, the press release specifically said: “The Presidential Secretariat wishes to state that no public funds have been used for such expenses for the re-election campaign of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.”
When questioned whether he had made this statement on the basis of evidence that no public funds, whatsoever, had been used, Mr Rajakarunanayake said: “It is my understanding and I believe that no other public organisation would also have spent any money.”
The question of where the money came from - and continues to come from - therefore remains unanswered.