Legal action against those who robbed Mahapola Fund: Minister Bandula

Legal action would be taken against those who defrauded the Mahapola Scholarship Trust Fund irrespective of their status, and there are many responsible for this fraud, Higher Education Minister Dr. Bandula Gunawardane said on Monday .

He said the Higher Education Ministry held discussions with the Ministry of Finance to get a sum of Rs.125 million from the Treasury to compensate the arrears in payment of Mahapola bursaries.

Minister Gunawardane expressed these views while visiting the Mahapola Trust at the J.R. Jayewardene Centre in Colombo on an inspection tour.

Dr. Gunawardane said students have had many problems in the recent past in relation to the fund.

“One of the main issues was students not receiving the Mahapola bursaries for about three months. Then frauds amounting to billions of rupees had taken place. It was Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe who first took legal action in this regard. I will inform the IGP to launch an investigation through the Criminal Investigation Department,” he said.

He said the trust fund was formed by the late Lalith Athulathmudali purely out of goodwill without seeking benefits and that it received the support of the people.

“The misuse of funds at a institution founded by the people is a grave crime. It is an offence punishable under the Public Property Act. That is why legal action should be taken immediately. We are not focused on hunting down political opponents like the previous government. The law of the Gotabaya Rajapaksa government is the same for all. Therefore, the law will be enforced to all, irrespective of their status. A programme will be implemented from 2020 onwards to nurture this fund with the participation of the people and for the beneficiaries of the country,” he said.

Meanwhile, he said he visited the University of Ruhuna on Sunday and added it was the first time a minister has visited the university and had discussions.

“On arriving there, I learned that the recruitment of lecturers has been on hold for the past four and a half years. I spoke to the Secretary of the Ministry of Finance immediately and gave permission for such recruitment,” Minister Gunawardane said.