Secret state agency behind Jaffna’s ‘Dish Asia’TV

It is a case of more Chiefs than Injuns. The Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) granted councillors the privilege of forwarding the names of five each to be recruited as labourers.

Their chores, among others, were to keep streets clean and spray insecticides on mosquito breeding sites.

However, the move has led to concern among heads of departments. Some of those recruited were of a different kind -- three-wheeler drivers and others of some means. They are asking their immediate bosses to give them desk jobs.

Officials worry that if the men continue, they would become permanent in the posts after six months. Insiders say a further batch is to be recruited soon.

A former Tiger guerrilla cadre who was in hiding in France returned to Sri Lanka and was employed by the previous regime to operate a Tamil television station in Jaffna. It was called Dish Asia Network.

On January 8, when the Presidential election was under way, the station had run reports to say voting would continue till 6.30 p. m. The reports angered the Tamil National Alliance ( TNA). It complained to the Police.

After the man was known to be in hiding, the Police went to court for an arrest warrant. It was issued. Thereafter, the polls were over and officials said he was freely roaming the bars in Jaffna.

Events have now taken a new turn. The Financial Crimes Investigation Division ( FCID) has received a complaint on how a State agency, which usually operated under cover, had used public funds to operate the television station. It is to begin its own investigations into the case.