Road contracts: Minister Gamage's company change

Primary Industries Minister Daya Gamage admitted that a firm connected with his Daya Group of companies had won contracts for two road rehabilitation projects costing the taxpayer Rs. 3.6 billion but said it was wholly under his son.

However, a search conducted by the Sunday Times at the Registrar of Companies on Friday revealed that he had changed the name of Daya Construction ( Pvt.) Ltd. into Olympus Construction (Pvt.) Ltd on January 6 2014. He named his son Chamindra Killittwa Gamage as the new chairman.

Earlier, Minister Gamage, who was well known for bankrolling the United National Party (UNP) and had his Pelawatte Sugar Mills in Moneragala taken over by the previous Government under a notorious underperforming assets law, had been the Chairman of Daya Construction (Pvt) Ltd. Among the directors was his wife Anoma Gamage, who is now Deputy Minister of Petroleum Resources Development.

Olympus Construction ( Pvt.) Ltd., the Sunday Times found, had shareholding in the parent Daya Group of Companies where Mr. Gamage held ownership.

Minister Gamage told the Sunday Times, “Several projects came up for approval at the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers. I was not aware that the particular projects were of my son’s company.” He was commenting on our report last we e k headlined ‘A R E YAHAPALANA ETHICS BEING O B S E RV E D ? MINISTER’S C O M PA N Y G E T S CONTRACTS FOR RS. 3.6 B”

He said the ministers had approved 18 projects by 18 different contractors. “It is a formality that these projects come for approval of the ministers. I came to know that one of my son’s projects came up for approval. When I learnt of it, I left the meeting,” Minister Gamage said.

No sooner the contents of the S u n d ay T i m e s report circulated, one Cabinet Minister tele- phoned the News Desk last Tuesday. He said the report should have been published with the name of the minister concerned. “People are accusing me,” he complained. The issue was raised in Parliament on Friday by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna ( JVP) leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake. Highways Minister Lakshman Kiriella replied that there was no minister involved in the deal. The Sunday Times account last week stated that though the company had been under the minister’s name, since it began bidding for pro j e c t s under the Gover nment, the name has been changed and overall management placed with a member of his family.