It has come to light that there had been an inordinate delay in purchasing much needed security equipment and apparatus for the Katunayake Airport.
This disclosure was made at the Presidential Commission Investigating alleged fraud, corruption and misuse of state funds and property in SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering Services and Mihin Lanka sittings on Monday. Commission member, retired High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe in particular voiced concern over this delay in purchasing much needed equipment cancelling tenders for nearly three years.
When Commission Chairman, retired Supreme Court Judge, Justice Anil Gooneratne questioned witness SriLankan Airlines’ Security Operations Senior Manager Lal Titus Kannangara whether this inordinate delay in the purchase of much needed security equipment was proper. He became speechless.
Cross examined by Deputy Solicitor General Shanaka Wijesinghe, the witness submitted that on August 18, 2011, the European Union had pointed out that the Katunayake Airport was desperately in need of explosives detection equipment.
Without responding to that request, the Airline had delayed the purchase of equipment by cancelling tenders for a long period. It was revealed that the tender called on December 2013 was cancelled after a few months. It was revealed their Kosala Kariyawasam who was a member of the technical evaluation committee had approved the cancellation of the tender.
The witness said that he chaired the Technical Evaluation Committee and the committee cancelled the tender citing security reasons.Tenders were called again by advertising in newspapers in October 2014 and closed on December 18, 2014.
The report of the Technical Evaluation Committee was released in January 2016. The tender was awarded to Excel Trading Company.
The witness said the supplier had been selected by the Technical Evaluation Committee before obtaining the recommendations of the finance committee.