(Sarath Fonseka ensured that no photo is leaked to the media where he (the father-in-law) and his son-in-law are both in it. Photo from nation.lk)
What is the best way to divert attention from own corruption? It is to talk about others’ alleged corruption. It is a very old trick in Sri Lankan politics. We have seen those who promised to end corruption end up as corrupt. It is up to a competent court to convict a wrongdoer and it is not the intention of this series of articles to call anyone corrupt and make decisions. Instead what is intended is to shed some light based on third party generated, non-political evidence, widely available to readers, on possible corruption and collusion in military purchases. This evidence is not the creation of any interested party trying to defame anyone. In fact it has been created in most instances by the actors themselves! That means the accuracy, objectivity and relevance of these pieces of evidence remain very high. Same goes for third party evidence. Readers are free to do their own investigations into these independent sources. Newspapers may be burnt, media men may be killed, they can be assaulted and intimidated, they can be silenced, they can be told false news; but internet based evidence cannot be so easily erased.
As many are aware there is a company by the name Lanka Logistics and Technologies (Pvt) Ltd which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order, to facilitate the procurement of Equipment & Services for the Sri Lanka Army, Navy, Air Force & Police.
The Company is also engaged in conducting procurement research, sourcing, manufacturing and project management. (http://www.lltl.lk/index.php)
Contrary to popular belief, it is not the sole purchaser of goods and services for the defence services. It is impractical and costly for a single source to procure everything. But it is certainly the purchaser of high value and critical equipment; and spares. The government gazette No 1508/08 on Monday July 30, 2007 specifies what defence related articles cannot be bought by any other entity. (http://www.lltl.lk/pdf/annexa_government_gazzette.pdf).
This list is not exhaustive and allows other entities to supply items not prohibited. Hicorp (Pvt) Ltd. has carefully avoided the prohibited items and had supplied the items that are not prohibited.
The following link gives evidence how Hicorp (Pvt) Ltd carefully and skillfully avoided prohibited items. In doing so it ensured a continued flow of business as long as the father-in-law was at the helm. View the product list here.
(http://lk252467.en.asiaproduct.net/)
While the owners of Hicorp’s Sri Lanka operation have been divulged elsewhere (http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2009/12/06/us-asked-probe-danuna-tillakeratne), Mr. Randy DeHoedt is the contractor of the company.
EVIDENCE - 1
This is what they have to say about their operations.
“Our Organization is based in Sri Lanka with presence in the USA. We are specialized in integrated defense systems / Radar systems / Body armor / Ballistic helmets / armored vehicles and many other related products in Sri Lanka. We are a registered supplier for the Sri Lanka Army / Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force / Sri Lanka Police Department / Government and Private Sector Organizations / United Nations Offices in Sri Lanka NGOs / ICRC / Red Cross Etc.”
EVIDENCE - 2
And this is the company profile.
Company Name: HICORP (Pvt) Ltd.
Business Type: Other
Product/Services: Defense, Security, Surveillance Equipment
Contactor: Mr. Randy DeHoedt
Address: # 7 Siebal Avenue Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka 00500
Phone: 94-714-813111
Fax: 94-114-51427
Third party created evidence of these details are found at: http://lk252467.en.asiaproduct.net/
EVIDENCE - 3
The contractor Randy DeHoedt is a very close friend of not only Danuna Tillakaratna, but also his mother - Asoka Tillakaratne. They have been known to each other for a long time, at least from 2006.
The following covering letter was done by him and published voluntarily in the internet under the category, “how to write an amazing covering letter”!
The following is quoted from the covering letter.
I Randy DeHoedt, wish to introduce my self in my endeavor to explore the possibility of my association with your esteem establishment.
With reference to the advertisement which appeared on Sunday Observer 23rd April 2006, I hereby wish to apply for ‘Client Service Executive’. In this context please find attached herewith my Curriculum Vitae for your kind perusal.
Conviction, confidence and the ability to work independently as well as with a team have kept me in good stead.
Referees
Mrs. Asoka Tillakaratne
Managing Director
Salon 7th Avenue
#1, Shopping Piazza,
Galle Face Hotel, Colombo 03
Tel. 2382992, 5678266
Mobile. 0777311229
Mr. Lakshman Abeysekera
Director/CEO
Novex Pharmaceuticals Limited.
#7, Siebel Avenue,
Colombo 05
Tel. 2820512, 5511430
Mobile. 0777360094
Enclose my resume looking forward to a favorable reply from you.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
……………….
Here is the link - http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/734233-how-to-write-a-cover-letter-amazing
EVIDENCE - 4
The contractor who supplied weapons and other materials to the Sri Lanka Army / Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force / Sri Lanka Police Department in his own admission knows very well the family of Danuna Tillakaratna, the son-in-law of the then Army Commander!
Asoka Tillakaratne runs Salon 7th Avenue.
Confirmation is found in this link - http://www.salon7thavenue.com/contactus.htm
EVIDENCE - 5
Further confirmation of the relationship is found in the following excerpt.
“Danuna, who lives and works overseas, is a computer analyst. The groom is also the son of a military man – Brigadier (Rtd) Tissa Tillekaratne, so the families have been friends since their children were very young, The Nation learns.”
“The bride was dressed in a beautiful, pure white, heavily-worked lace saree draped Indian style and carried a bouquet of white orchids, which she also wore in her hair. Her bridesmaids, three in all, including her sister Aparna Fonseka, wore salmon pink sarees and carried orchids of the same shade as the bouquets. There were a total of 14 in the bridal retinue, including two page boys and two little flower girls. The bride and her party were dressed by Salon Seventh Avenue, which is owned and managed by the groom’s mother.”
http://www.nation.lk/2007/07/15/events.htm
CONCLUSION
Apart from the Army Commander’s son in law’s company in the USA selling weapons to the Sri Lanka army, that company’s main arms dealer is a close family friend of him. It offers many opportunities for collusion and it possibly did happen. Weren’t his superiors aware? They might or might not have been aware of it but they had other considerations too. Getting rid of the army commander right in the middle of the war would have affected the political balance. Going by what happened after the war, the impact during the war would have been phenomenal. These events must be investigated as soon as possible. Culprits must be named and shamed; and punished appropriately. Allowing the culprits to rule the country is the worst act of omission.
As many are aware there is a company by the name Lanka Logistics and Technologies (Pvt) Ltd which is a wholly owned subsidiary of Ministry of Defence, Public Security, Law & Order, to facilitate the procurement of Equipment & Services for the Sri Lanka Army, Navy, Air Force & Police.
The Company is also engaged in conducting procurement research, sourcing, manufacturing and project management. (http://www.lltl.lk/index.php)
Contrary to popular belief, it is not the sole purchaser of goods and services for the defence services. It is impractical and costly for a single source to procure everything. But it is certainly the purchaser of high value and critical equipment; and spares. The government gazette No 1508/08 on Monday July 30, 2007 specifies what defence related articles cannot be bought by any other entity. (http://www.lltl.lk/pdf/annexa_government_gazzette.pdf).
This list is not exhaustive and allows other entities to supply items not prohibited. Hicorp (Pvt) Ltd. has carefully avoided the prohibited items and had supplied the items that are not prohibited.
The following link gives evidence how Hicorp (Pvt) Ltd carefully and skillfully avoided prohibited items. In doing so it ensured a continued flow of business as long as the father-in-law was at the helm. View the product list here.
(http://lk252467.en.asiaproduct.net/)
While the owners of Hicorp’s Sri Lanka operation have been divulged elsewhere (http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2009/12/06/us-asked-probe-danuna-tillakeratne), Mr. Randy DeHoedt is the contractor of the company.
EVIDENCE - 1
This is what they have to say about their operations.
“Our Organization is based in Sri Lanka with presence in the USA. We are specialized in integrated defense systems / Radar systems / Body armor / Ballistic helmets / armored vehicles and many other related products in Sri Lanka. We are a registered supplier for the Sri Lanka Army / Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force / Sri Lanka Police Department / Government and Private Sector Organizations / United Nations Offices in Sri Lanka NGOs / ICRC / Red Cross Etc.”
EVIDENCE - 2
And this is the company profile.
Company Name: HICORP (Pvt) Ltd.
Business Type: Other
Product/Services: Defense, Security, Surveillance Equipment
Contactor: Mr. Randy DeHoedt
Address: # 7 Siebal Avenue Colombo, Colombo, Sri Lanka 00500
Phone: 94-714-813111
Fax: 94-114-51427
Third party created evidence of these details are found at: http://lk252467.en.asiaproduct.net/
EVIDENCE - 3
The contractor Randy DeHoedt is a very close friend of not only Danuna Tillakaratna, but also his mother - Asoka Tillakaratne. They have been known to each other for a long time, at least from 2006.
The following covering letter was done by him and published voluntarily in the internet under the category, “how to write an amazing covering letter”!
The following is quoted from the covering letter.
I Randy DeHoedt, wish to introduce my self in my endeavor to explore the possibility of my association with your esteem establishment.
With reference to the advertisement which appeared on Sunday Observer 23rd April 2006, I hereby wish to apply for ‘Client Service Executive’. In this context please find attached herewith my Curriculum Vitae for your kind perusal.
Conviction, confidence and the ability to work independently as well as with a team have kept me in good stead.
Referees
Mrs. Asoka Tillakaratne
Managing Director
Salon 7th Avenue
#1, Shopping Piazza,
Galle Face Hotel, Colombo 03
Tel. 2382992, 5678266
Mobile. 0777311229
Mr. Lakshman Abeysekera
Director/CEO
Novex Pharmaceuticals Limited.
#7, Siebel Avenue,
Colombo 05
Tel. 2820512, 5511430
Mobile. 0777360094
Enclose my resume looking forward to a favorable reply from you.
Thanking you.
Yours faithfully,
……………….
Here is the link - http://www.tradebit.com/filedetail.php/734233-how-to-write-a-cover-letter-amazing
EVIDENCE - 4
The contractor who supplied weapons and other materials to the Sri Lanka Army / Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force / Sri Lanka Police Department in his own admission knows very well the family of Danuna Tillakaratna, the son-in-law of the then Army Commander!
Asoka Tillakaratne runs Salon 7th Avenue.
Confirmation is found in this link - http://www.salon7thavenue.com/contactus.htm
EVIDENCE - 5
Further confirmation of the relationship is found in the following excerpt.
“Danuna, who lives and works overseas, is a computer analyst. The groom is also the son of a military man – Brigadier (Rtd) Tissa Tillekaratne, so the families have been friends since their children were very young, The Nation learns.”
“The bride was dressed in a beautiful, pure white, heavily-worked lace saree draped Indian style and carried a bouquet of white orchids, which she also wore in her hair. Her bridesmaids, three in all, including her sister Aparna Fonseka, wore salmon pink sarees and carried orchids of the same shade as the bouquets. There were a total of 14 in the bridal retinue, including two page boys and two little flower girls. The bride and her party were dressed by Salon Seventh Avenue, which is owned and managed by the groom’s mother.”
http://www.nation.lk/2007/07/15/events.htm
CONCLUSION
Apart from the Army Commander’s son in law’s company in the USA selling weapons to the Sri Lanka army, that company’s main arms dealer is a close family friend of him. It offers many opportunities for collusion and it possibly did happen. Weren’t his superiors aware? They might or might not have been aware of it but they had other considerations too. Getting rid of the army commander right in the middle of the war would have affected the political balance. Going by what happened after the war, the impact during the war would have been phenomenal. These events must be investigated as soon as possible. Culprits must be named and shamed; and punished appropriately. Allowing the culprits to rule the country is the worst act of omission.
