Sydney Morning Herald, a website of Australia reported yesterday thus ’’ that investigations had uncovered documents linking Australian company Snowy Mountains Engineering Company (SMEC) with the Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena. The documents, now being evaluated by the Australian Federal Police said that the ‘Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and his advisor had allegedly demanded a political “donation” to be paid by SMEC,’ during the period he was Cabinet minister.
The report said ‘emails (also) show a plot to skim the money off a World Bank-funded dam project in 2009. In return, Sirisena was to approve the awarding of the dam contract to SMEC, worth $1.82 million’’
The Sydney Morning Herald (SMH ) reported in the wake of foreign bribery allegation, the discovery will force Australia, which prides itself for being a clean country to do business, to reform its failing anti-corruption framework. Investigations reported to have uncovered documents linking Australian company Snowy Mountains Engineering Company (SMEC) with the Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena.
The documents, now being evaluated by the Australian Federal Police said that the ‘Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena and his advisor had allegedly demanded a political “donation” to be paid by SMEC,’ during the period he was Cabinet minister.
Followed by the exposure in Sydney Morning Herald , Joint Opposition MP, Vimalaweera Dissanayake, while addressing a media briefing yesterday said, it was a not good for the country when the president is being accused on such an act and it was necessary to call for a impartial the investigation into the matter.
However, the President’s Media Division (PMD) on behalf of the President this evening, issued a statement denying involvement in corruption he is alleged to have committed during his tenure as Minister of Agriculture and Agrarian Services.
Referring to an article that had appeared in the Sydney Herald the statement said the President had emphasised that he had at no time indulged in any form of corruption or malpractice.
The statement said the Attorney General had been notified and instructed to investigate the matter.
