House erupts over Central Expressway corruption charges

Chief Government Whip Highways Minister Johnston Fernando yesterday told Parliament that the Opposition was bandying about figures as regards the third phase of the Central Expressway construction even through the tender process had not yet been concluded.

Responding to a question raised by Galle District SJB MP Gayantha Karunatilake, Minister Fernando said: “The Opposition members allege that there were frauds of such and such amounts in the third phase of the Central Expressway. Where did you get these figures? The bidding letters of the tender have not yet been opened and none knows the figures. You are talking of figures of tenders which have not yet been opened. You can challenge this tender once the tender board makes its decision. You can even go before courts or raise it here in this House. You all are raising wild allegations without basis. You raise these baseless allegations while standing for a company to which an additional sum of Rs 1,800 million had been paid under the yahapalana government to construct the expressway from Mirigama to Kadawatha. I am calling on you not to represent companies. You all are complicit in Treasury Bond scam which led to your dow fall. Now, in the Opposition you are fighting for the companies and this will further ruin you because you are representing a bunch of thieves.”

Chief Opposition Whip Kandy District MP Lakshman Kiriella: The agreement on the Kadawatha-Mirigama Section had been signed by Mahinda Rajapaksa, granting the contract to MCC Company by the time we took over the government in 2015. The local agents of the MCC are Prabhath Nanayakkara and Dilshan Wickremasinghe, who is a relation of Shiranthi Rajapaksa. When we came to power, the MCC came to us and showed the agreement and we had to continue the project. If there had been no such agreement, we would have given it to local contractors. They went after the Chinese. It was our government that gave a contract to local contractors first by giving them the section from Mirigama to Kurunegala. When we handed over the reins of government we had completed construction of 37 out of 41 km long road.

Chief Government Whip Minister Fernando: Former Minister Kiriella plays the role of an innocent baby. You gave the contract to a company belonging to your Cabinet colleague Daya Gamage. When giving contracts to build the outer circle expressway the contractors agreed to construct a six lane expressway for Rs 66 billion. Your government changed it into a four lane expressway for the same amount and gave it to this Chinese company. Now you are accusing us of going after the Chinese while standing up for the interests of a Chinese company.

Responding to a question by SJB Matale District MP Rohini Kumari Kaviratne, Minister Fernando said that valuation for the compensations for those who lose their lands because of new roads were done not by the Ministry of Highways but by the Valuation Department. “We can summon officials of the Valuation Department to Parliament and discuss this issue with them,” the Minister said. (SI)