President to appoint commission to probe Mihin Lanka, SriLankan Airlines this week

• Says more revelations will be made and many more corrupt politicians will be exposed

President Maithripala Sirisena on Saturday said he would appoint a commission this week to probe the alleged fraud and corruption that had taken place at Sri Lanka’s national carrier SriLankan Airlines and the now nonoperational budget carrier Mihin Lanka.



President Sirisena made this statement while speaking at an election rally held at the Gam Udawa Stadium in Dambulla to garner support for candidates of the United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) in the Matale District.

Without giving any details, the President said when he appoints the Presidential Commission on Mihin Lanka and SriLankan Airlines more revelations would be made and many more corrupt politicians would be exposed.

Speaking at the rally, the President said the true nature of the previous government’s development would be revealed to the public in the future and whatever the challenges, he would change the corrupt political culture which prevailed within the country.

President Sirisena noted that it was he who, through the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, abrogated the 18th Amendment to the Constitution which allowed the president to remain in power for life.

The President said that he was the only leader who acted to curtail the powers of the executive presidency and hand over powers to Parliament and no other leader in the world had done that.

Recalling that in the past the President appointed the IGP, Attorney General, Chief Justice, all Supreme Court judges and independent commissions, Sirisena said he was the one who changed the system and handed over those powers to a parliamentary constitutional council.

He said the people would not forget how the courts gave orders in the past in line with orders received from Temple Trees.

He noted that he was the one who changed the system from one where the Army was shooting the innocent people of Rathupaswala crying out for drinking water. The President added that those who were accusing the Government of hunting war heroes were responsible for imprisoning the military leader who led the war to end terrorism within the country.

“If they are speaking according to their conscience they did not have the Bandaranaike philosophy or the SLFP policy that values freedom and democracy. While committing fraud, corruption and exploiting the people, they destroyed the honour of the party (SLFP) as well as its policies,” the President stated.

Sirisena said that the people were now realising the true situation and stressed that at the 10 February local government election the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) would become the party which would secure the highest number of votes.

Expressing his views regarding the development of the agriculture sector in the area and the development of the farmer community, the President said that the Dambulla Economic Center would be developed and its administration would be properly managed by halting existing fraud and corruption in order to distribute its benefits to everyone.