REFUGEE

Lake House Chairman Bandula Padmakaumara it is learnt has been assured the permanent post as Chairman of the state print media institution as long as President Mahinda Rajapaksa remained in office, by the President’s brother Basil Rajapaksa. Padmakumara acted as the broker in the sale of Swarnavahini to Basil and the assurance given to him is an additional incentive apart from the house he received as commission for arranging the sale.

Several statements made by the Lake House Chairman to his employees have revealed that the sale had been initiated several months back.

In addition, when ever the Chairman addressed the junior staff at the institution he implies that he would remain in the post as long as President Rajapaksa was in office.

The Lake House Chairman has told a journalist attached to the private media station he also works for that he could be Sakvithi if the President could call himself Maha Raja.

Upon being questioned by the journalist as to why he made such a statement, the Chairman had asked if he was not on a higher elevation than the President if he over ruled directives issued by the President in relation to the state media organization.

The Chairman had then said the President had not taken any action against him after he has acted to silence members of the Nidahas Sevaka Sangamaya under a SLFP government and hound members of the respective trade union who ignore his directives.

Speaking further, the Chairman had said he has appointed UNP supporters to key positions at Lake House. (Many of the key positions at Lake House including posts of Chief Administrator, Transport Manager, etc., have been filed by UNP supporters)

According to the Chairman, he does not accept directives issued by senior government ministers including Maithripala Sirisena, Dullas Alahapperuma and Nimal Siripala de Silva and has managed to make these senior ministers look like wimps in front of him.

The Chairman had said no one would be able to oust him as Lake House Chairman as long as Mahinda Rajapaksa was in power.

When the journalist had questioned as to how the Chairman possessed such powers being a close friend of Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, the Chairman had said it was a highly personal matter. He had said the matter he was unable to reveal has prevented the President from taking any action against him.