Sports Ministry Acting Secretary Somaratna Vidanapathirana issuing a statement on allegations levelled against the ministry by Olympic silver medalist Susanthika Jayasinghe yesterday said he feels sorry for Susanthika Jayasinghe’s plight today as all the governments that were in power since 2000 helped her financially and also donated houses and vehicles for her use.
He said the ministry also donated Rs 1.1 million on a request by her to publish her biography.
Vidanapathirana said that the Sports Ministry has not terminated her services.
The only problem was that her April allowance had been delayed.
The former government had appointed her as an advisor to the Ministry of Sports and her tenure ended in 2015 when the present government took office.
When Dayasiri Jayasekera took over as Sports Minister he decided to obtain her services on a monthly allowance of Rs 60 000 and a fuel allowance of Rs 15 000 till she reaches the age of 60.
The minister also submitted a Cabinet paper to seek approval to appoint her as a consultant for training and picking of athletes for international competitions.
She should perform her duties and submit a report to the Ministry Secretary regarding the training programs at the beginning of each month. She was also given an office room at the Sports Ministry building.
If she is undergoing financial difficulties what she should do is not to sell her Olympic medal but to fulfill her obligations as an adviser to the Minister of Sports for which she is entitled to a reasonable salary.