Govt. urged to come clean on harmful Chinese organic fertiliser shipment

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Opposition lawmaker Rohini Kaviratne says the government owes an explanation regarding the Attorney General’s intervention in the Commercial High Court to thwart unloading of a large consignment of organic fertiliser, ordered from Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd. of China, and also stop payments to the Chinese firm and its local agent, Chelinaa Capital Corporation (Pvt) Ltd.

MP Kaviratne pointed out that the Attorney General made representations before the Commercial HC on behalf of the Fertiliser Company against the harmful consignment sent by the Chinese company. She said that the announcement regarding the AG’s intervention on Friday (22) was made by the President’s Media Division (PMD).

The people have a right to know who wanted the consignment unloaded regardless of the National Plant Quarantine Services confirming the presence of certain harmful bacteria and other organisms. The Matale District MP emphasised that there hadn’t been a previous instance of the AG moving against a foreign supplier and its local agent in such a way. She asserted that the government appeared to have been sharply divided over the fertilizer deal.

The Commercial High Court issued an injunction last Friday.

State Counsel Sehan Soyza and Dr. Charuka Ekanayake, Deputy Solicitor General Nirmalan Wigneswaran and Additional Solicitor General Susantha Balapatabendi PC appeared for the Ceylon Fertiliser Company.

The enjoining order barred People’s Bank from making any payments under a letter of credit opened on behalf of Qingdao Seawin Biotech Group Co., Ltd. of China. It also barred the Chinese company and its local agent from receiving any payments under the letter of credit.

Referring to a recent statement issued by the Chinese embassy in Colombo that strongly disputed the basis on which Sri Lanka refused to accept the consignment, lawmaker Kaviratne urged the government to come clean on this contentious matter.

The PMD stated: “The consignment is a partial shipment worth more than a billion rupees that was procured through a tender process initiated by the Ministry of Agriculture.”

MP Kaviratne said that the Chinese company has written to Prof. Ajantha de Silva, DG, Agriculture reassuring the quality of their product though Sri Lanka believed otherwise.

MP Kaviratne also pointed out that the controversial payments in respect of liquid nano fertilizer imports, too, involved the People’s Bank. The MP said that fresh major financial controversies had erupted at a time the country was in a dire financial situation with an extremely serious balance of payments crisis. The MP noted that Secretary to the President Dr. P. B. Jayasundera has strongly contradicted the declaration made by JVP MP Vijitha Herath regarding liquid fertilizer imports from India. Dr. Jayasundera, in a statement issued through the PMD media reports based on the Opposition MP’s claim as regards the opening of a personal account in a state bank to import fertilizer from India. Dr. Jayasundera said: “Those news stories are completely false and malicious. The opening of an account in a state bank is an act between the relevant bank and the account holder. It is the responsibility of the bank to act in accordance with the standard procedures in this regard.”

Dr. Jayasundera added that “stern legal action has already been taken against the false propaganda targeted at him by highlighting a statement made by a Member of Parliament.” The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) over the weekend recorded ‘Aruna’ editor Mahinda Illeperuma’s statement in connection with the inquiry initiated following a complaint from Dr. Jayasundera. Illeperuma told The Island that ‘Aruna’ story, too, was based on MP Herath’s disclosure in Parliament on Friday.

MP Kaviratne said that the SJB appreciated a thorough inquiry into both issues. She emphasized that the country wouldn’t have to place emergency orders under an extremely dicey situation if the government acted prudently.

MP Herath is on record as having said that the government deposited USD 1,275 mn in a newly opened account under the name of United Farmers’ Trust Limited at the Town Hall branch of the People’s Bank. Naming the Directors of the company as Mohan Perera and G.M. Weerasinghe, the JVP asked the government who they were.