Incidents of rampant corruption are now surfacing within the Ministry of Housing and Construction during the tenure of former Minister Sajith Premadasa, who has now turned Opposition Leader.
Evidence has now surfaced that there has been a misappropriation of Rs. 330 million to print promotional posters which had been left in a room of the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) Head Office building without even being distributed. This had been done on the whims and fancies of one single individual, NHDA Director Sudath Abeywardena said.
The printing of the posters have been outsourced to outside printing presses, despite the NHDA having its own printing press.
It is also true that 5,900 houses which had been built during the four-and-a-half year regime of the UNP, but NHDA insiders, confirm that if the Rs. 330 million was credited to the NHDA account, a further 677 houses which could have been built in 27 model villages.
Between 100-150 houses had been built on a self- help basis.
Insiders, also point out that NHDA big bugs were not pursuing the building houses for poor but pursing their dreams of fattening themselves.
An inquiry and an audit will reveal which printing press, the printing of the posters were outsourced to and also the amounts which had been siphoned and also to whom the money had been paid, which includes a high ranking NHDA staffer.
Insiders also say that some of the key trade union leaders who were dead against these corrupt practices were silenced by one ‘cane wielding’ boss, who started his career in the NHDA and who ‘politically parachuted’ from a mere ‘Public Relations Officer’ to the post of General Manager. He had parachuted further after retirement, to that of Chairman.
He had threatened all union leaders and all who opposed the corrupt moves and the autocratic moves of the management with interdiction and termination and transfers. That was the manner in which the NHDA was run during the previous regime. The employees were absolutely scared of reprisal if they dared to speak out.