Canada says no to Sri Lankan envoy

published by asingh on Tue, 02/04/2014 - 22:06

The Canadian government has informed Sri Lanka that they cannot recognize the island’s high commissioner appointed to Canada, Jaliya Chitran Wickramasuriya, who is a cousin of the President Mahinda Rajapaksa, reports say.

This diplomatic issue has arisen as a result of the US government’s exposing, to the Canadian authorities, the corrupt activities of Wickramasuriya during his tenure there as the Sri Lankan ambassador said the Sri Lankan Guardian.

He has allegedly defrauded US$350,000 when purchasing a house for the Sri Lankan embassy at 3025, White Haven Street, Washington in 20008.

According to the report, the 62-year-old so called “diplomat”, seven bedrooms house was bought for US$6,250,000 in January 2013, while the ambassador had obtained cabinet approval for a sum of US$6,600,000.

There was no evaluation of the building has been made prior to buying it.”

Later, the Ministry of External Affairs, had complained to the president about the fraud, the president had undercut senior civil servants and posted Wickramasuriya to Canada while acting as the king of “ Madamulana”.

The Guardian said the president had order minister G.L. Peiris, a law professor who turned to politician, not to hold any inquiry against his cousin.

During his tenure in the US, Wickramasuriya had neglected his ambassadorial duties and focused on promoting his personal tea business.

He had made no contribution towards the maintenance of good diplomatic relations between two parties.

He had misused embassy property as well as its officers who get paid by the Sri Lankan government to carry out his tea business, added the sources, quoted by the paper.