JVP smells rat in payment made for nano nitrogen fertiliser

Minister says imports facilitated by Indian HC

By Saman Indrajith

The JVP says the government has deposited USD 1.275 million in an account of a private company as payment for the recently imported Nano Liquid Nitrogen Fertiliser from India, in violation of due process.

JVP propaganda Secretary MP Vijitha Herath told Parliament on Friday that the Treasury had requested the People’s Bank to release USD 1.275 million as payment for nitrogen fertiliser, on 18 Oct.

“Due process for this type of transaction is to make payments from the accounts maintained by the Ceylon Fertiliser Company Ltd. However, President’s Secretary, Dr. P.B. Jayasundera ordered the People’s Bank to open a separate private account at its Town Hall Branch under the name ‘United Farmers Trust Limited’ (UFTL) on 18 Oct,” MP Herath said.

Herath said that after opening the account, funds of the People’s Bank had been transferred to the said company account.

“Directors of this company are named as Mohan Perera, G. M. Weerasinghe. Who are these people? Are they public servants? Parliament has a right to know how the payment was made to the Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited (IFFCO),” the MP said.

Herath said that the UFTL had paid USD 300,000 to IFFCO and another USD 50,000 as freight charges while another USD 37,000 was as payments. “This is only a part of the total payment. What happened to the rest of the money?” the JVP MP demanded to know from the government.

“It has also been revealed that a Director of UFTL Ltd.’ has repeatedly requested People’s Bank to convert the remaining money into local currency. Why is that? This is a serious concern. Parliament has control over public finance, but we have been kept in the dark about this matter. The government should investigate this immediately,” he said.

Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage said that it was the Indian High Commission in Sri Lanka which facilitated the fertiliser imports.

“The IFFCO has appointed the UFTL as its Sri Lankan representative. That is why the government paid the money to them and they opened the LCs for the import after that,” the minister said.