Controversy over C’bo Uni. Chancellor’s SUV: Higher Education Ministry, UGC won’t intervene – Dr. Raghavan

… Puttalam District lawmaker original owner

By Shamindra Ferdinando

State Higher Education Minister Dr. Suren Raghavan yesterday (19) said the Higher Education Ministry, and the University Grants Commission (UGC), wouldn’t get involved in the ongoing issue pertaining to the sale of SUV by Chancellor of the Colombo University Ven. Muruththettuwe Ananda, the chief incumbent of the Abhayarama temple.

Dr. Raghavan emphasised that as it was a private matter there was no need for them to intervene. The SLPP National List MP said so in response to The Island query whether the Ministry would inquire into the allegations regarding the sale of a V-8 by the Chancellor.

Ousted President Gotabaya Rajapaksa appointed Ven. Ananda as Chancellor, last November.

Declaring his commitment to what he called total independence of Universities, the State Minister questioned the current process in selecting Vice Chancellors. The SLPP National List MP said: “I stand for the total independence of all universities, including the selection of their Vice Chancellors. Presidents do not need to appoint them.”

Responding to another query, Dr. Raghavan said that if anyone believed the Ven. Thera had violated the law, that party should move Court.

Chairman, UGC, Prof. Sampath Amaratunga said that the President exercised the power to appoint Chancellors of Universities. Therefore, in his capacity as the Chairman, UGC, he couldn’t comment on the issue at hand.

A simmering controversy erupted over the Ven. Thera’s SUV, after former JVP MP Wasantha Samarasinghe alleged that Thilini Priyamali, proprietor of Thico Group of Companies now in remand custody, in connection with the misappropriation of large sums of money, stole the V-8, used by the Ven. Thera.

Having cleared Thilini Priyamali of stealing the vehicle, Ven. Ananda has revealed that he had lodged a complaint with the police alleging that Colombo Municipal Council member, Priyanka Jayasekera (SLPP), sold the vehicle, on his behalf, but didn’t hand over the proceeds.

At a hastily called media briefing, Councillor Jayasekera contradicted Ven. Thera. Jayasekera said that she sold the V-8, with the blessings of the Ven. Thera, to cover losses, amounting to Rs. 50 mn ,incurred by her, having invested on an enterprise, as requested by the monk. Jayasekera is on record as having said that she provided a Mercedes Benz, belonging to her, to the Ven. Thera, after the sale of the V-8. She said that the V-8 hadn’t been in the name of Ven. Ananda, though the monk claimed its ownership.

The Island

asked Wasantha Samarasinghe, who now heads a trade union collective, led by the JVP, whether he still stood by his original claim that the alleged fraudster Priyamali stole the vehicle, the former lawmaker said that he would respond to the query, after having studied the developments.

Rohan Laksiri, Secretary, Federation of University Teachers’ Association (FUTA), said that as they hadn’t discussed the Chancellor’s issue yet, a statement couldn’t be issued. “We’ll do so once consensus was reached on this matter,” Laksiri said.

Responding to Councillor Jayasekera, Ven. Thera told the media that he decided to sell the V-8 after a philanthropist, based in Japan, offered him another vehicle. Ven. Ananda said that he abandoned the plan as he couldn’t get the heavy tax, on the car, waived off.

Ven. Ananda told The Island yesterday that since 2017 he was the legitimate owner of the V-8, which originally belonged to a Puttalam District Muslim MP. The monk said that he didn’t want to discuss this issue, over the phone, though he was willing to show the documents, in his hands, which proved the accusations wrong.