A few good men

Numbers count, especially when it comes to money, which is why rolling back corruption has become one of the biggest issues for Sri Lanka. Last week, the arrest of the Deyata Kirula Chief Executive Officer (CEO) grabbed headlines and underscored the long road that the country still has travel on before it can become financially accountable. For now the best hope is for a few good men who listen to their conscience and act as whistleblowers.

Hot on the heels of the Rs. 40 million embezzlement of Deyata Kirula funds came the news that investigations have begun on a fraud of Rs. 3 billion that is also linked to the same event. The North Central Province Road Development Authority (NCP RDA) has interdicted two of its highest-ranking officers and started investigating against allegations of massive corruption prior to the Deyata Kirula exhibition in 2012.

Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL)-led Coalition against Corruption (CAC) has revealed that over Rs. 3,000 million has been swindled during the construction and development of roads by the NCP Road Development Authority prior to the exhibition. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has launched an investigation following a written complaint by the NCP RDA officials along with the provincial administration. NCPRDA also suspended payment of Rs. 14,000 million to the contractors who were allegedly authorised to repair the roads affected by floods during 2011.

These frauds have taken place when roads were extended to cover about 410 km. More than 30 roads were developed before the Deyata Kirula exhibition. An allocation of Rs. 7,500 million had been made for the development of roads during 2008-2012. It included Rs. 2,500 million from North Central Province Fund, Rs. 1,500 million from JICA and Rs. 3,500 million from the Asian Development Bank. The funding from JICA and ADB being misused raises questions on due process within these donor organisations that are supposed to follow international best practices to curb corruption.  

Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police N.K. Ilangakoon has also directed the Police to conduct an investigation into this massive corruption after officials of the NCP RDA made a complaint. NCP RDA General Manager Singha Banadara also confirmed that they have already made complaints to the CIABOC and IGP.  Such massive numbers beg the question of what financial transgressions could have taken place in the other Deyata Kirula exhibitions that were held since 2009. The 2013 edition alone incurred a staggering cost of Rs. 60 billion, which puts the total costs for the extravaganzas at a whopping Rs. 300 billion if a rough estimate is done. Even using a conservative approximation the costs would come to Rs. 200-250 billion.

Given these massive amounts, it is essential that transparency be brought into the Deyata Kirula. For a start audited accounts should be presented in Parliament. Plans for the exhibition, if it must be held, should also be presented before Parliament and projects should be adopted based on the needs of the people in the area rather than top down political policies or simply for the chance for politicians to shine. These projects must also be monitored with half-yearly progress reports being tabled to assure transparent use of funds.

Perhaps the most important action should now be taken over by the investigators and courts. Tough punishments and fair trials are needed to set deterrents. But in Sri Lanka’s culture of political patronage, making a dent in impunity continues to be a David and Goliath battle.