“Concerns over move to reinstate Controversial CMC Commissioner...”

With reference to our article headlined “Concerns over move to reinstate Controversial CMC Commissioner”, published on July 11, K. D. Chithrapala, Additional Secretary (Restructuring) Ministry of Industry and Commerce has sent the following response addressed to the writer Nirmala Kannangara. He states:

“The article contains the following passage attributed to Bandara Batuwegedara, Managing Director, United Glass Lanka (Pvt) Ltd which is completely false, and is per se defamatory of me.” When we gave our proposal, the former Municipal Treasurer tried to underestimate our product. But the Treasurer reached us asking for money to evaluate the odor eliminator in order to purchase it. Neither I nor my company would go from the back door and obtain any favours. So, I declined to offer him a bribe. That was why certain CMC members are levelling allegations against this product”.

The falsity of the said allegations is proved beyond doubt by the fact that they said allegations were not placed before the Justice Chandradasa Nanayakkara Commission. These allegations have now been made for an ulterior purpose.

Therefore, please be so good as to publish in an appropriate manner in ‘The ’ about my total denial of the said allegations contained in the aforesaid passage. I am the former Treasurer of the Colombo Municipal Council, referred to therein, and have an unblemished record of public service.

Reporter’s Note:-

Although the former Treasurer CMC claims that he was not contacted before the article was published, if he goes through his SMS records, he will find out whether this newspaper had tried to contact him or not well before the article was published on July 11, 2018.

Our records shows how this newspaper forwarded a few messages to Chithrapala on June 25, 2018 seeking an opportunity to talk to him, which was ignored.