Minister visits CID, asks for comprehensive probe

Transport, Highways and Mass Media Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardhana yesterday urged the CID to conduct a comprehensive investigation into attempts by certain elements to intimidate those striving to rebuild the country and by doing so destabilise the country again.

The Minister stated this while speaking to the media after he filed a complaint with the CID to conduct an urgent investigation into the bribery allegations against him.

“He further said precious young life was lost and a major disaster occurred due to a strike carried out by a few non-union people in the Sri Lanka Railways Department. A person named Indika Dodangoda attached to the Railway Department and residing in the official Railway quarters, made a very inaccurate and hateful statement alleging that the short-sighted Cabinet Minister is responsible for all the strikes. By making a very false, malicious hate speech he tried to indicate to the public that everything has happened due to the Minister’s fraudulent and corrupt actions. It is a crime to socialize an opinion like this and he tried to turn people’s hatred towards us by making such false statements.Therefore, I filed a complaint to the CID in this regard.

In addition to this, it is also alleged that the Railway Department has worked without calling for tenders. So far, the tenders given by the Railway Department to the Indian companies have been made in 2015, 2016, 2019. I assumed duties in this Ministry in 2022. No tender was given during that period. All we have done is to get the approval of the Cabinet to speed up the work that had been stopped.

Therefore, I requested that the CID conduct a thorough investigation into certain elements who are trying to intimidate the people who are dedicated to recovering the country.

Apart from this, I have been accused of taking a bribe of Rs.50 million from these companies. A complaint will also be made to the Bribery or Corruption Fraud Investigation Commission.

One of the TV channels telecast news on September 14 including the comments of this employee. So, I requested the CID to carry out an impartial and speedy investigation into every word he uttered, as it was a malicious, deliberate and planned statement to spread hatred. This step was taken to take legal action against trade union terrorism that would leave lakhs of people stranded in the country due to the needs of a few. In such a situation, if they try to turn that hatred towards us, we as a government cannot allow it. For that, the public should be informed and justice should be done.

“I think I am the only Minister who returns the money back to the Treasury allocated for foreign trips for Ministers. I have returned these remaining lakhs of money in every trip to the government,”he said.