New appointments will be annulled: UNP

• MP Ajith P. Perera alleges contracts given to two Chinese companies done outside of tender procedures  

New appointments and promotions made by the Cabinet of Ministers appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena after 26 October will be annulled by a United National Party (UNP) government in the future, UNP MP Ajith P. Perera said yesterday. 

Ajith P Perea

He pointed out that the legality of the current group of parliamentarians, which conducted meetings once a week in a manner similar to that of a Cabinet meeting, is under question and therefore any appointments to ministries, state departments or institutions will also be in doubt. (AH)

Speaking to reporters at Temple Trees, Perera insisted that a UNP administration would annul these appointments. 

“This purported Cabinet has also given contracts to two Chinese companies without adhering to the proper tender process. If these contracts incur losses for the State and waste public finances then we will take steps to obtain such funds from the officials who approved these contracts,” he said.   

It was reported over the weekend that the Cabinet had decided to award civil work to the China Harbour Engineering Company (CHEC) Ltd.in a project to enhance the deep berth capacity of the Jaya Container Terminal (JCT) of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA). Cabinet also sanctioned the granting of a contract to procure container handling equipment for the same terminal to another Chinese company — Shanghai Zhenhua Heavy Industries Ltd — using $ 25.7 million from the SLPA.

Perera charged that the value of the contracts would be about $100million.