An Al Khalid tank and a T55.
What is the Main Battle Tank (MBT) of Sri Lanka? It is the mighty T-55. Although it is an old tank, given its enormous ability to take on the enemy - the LTTE - in our terrain, its cost advantage and durability won it the admiration and love of the soldiers. It is a Russian war tank but due to its outstanding success, many variants are manufactured in a number of countries including India. Among its competitors is the AL Khalid tank which is a later day tank. Its Pakistani made. It’s a good tank but less used than the T-55 tank around the world. It’s a carbon copy of Chinese NORINCO Company’s Type 90 tank. In fact the Al Khalid tank was the result of collaboration between NORINCO and Pakistan.
How many Al Khalid tanks were in Sri Lanka? None. But none other than General Sarath Fonseka purchased 22 AL Khalid tanks at a cost of US$100 million a few years ago! Where are the tanks?
That’s not all, he bypass all the anti-corruption mechanisms in place and entered into the purchase transaction himself. He himself finalized the deal!
“It was exactly a year ago, in the first week of May 2008, that Sri Lankan Army Chief Lt Gen Fonseka visited Pakistan and held detailed talks with his Pakistani counterpart Chief of Army Staff General Asfaq Parvez Kayani to finalise the purchase of high-tech arms for the Lankan armed forces, which were embroiled in an intense battle with the LTTE forces even at that time.
According to the report, during the talks with Pakistani military authorities, Lt Gen Fonseka had finalised a deal under which Pakistan supplied 22 Al-Khalid main battle tanks to Sri Lanka worth USD 100 million.”
Here is third party indisputable evidence of it.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/pakistan-played-major-role-in-ltte-defeat-sources/16/54/63044/on
Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary subsequently cancelled this order due to the wrongful nature of the purchase procedure, violating the gazette notification of the 30 July 2007 (http://www.lltl.lk/pdf/annexa_government_gazzette.pdf - violates number 16 of the prohibited list) and Sri Lanka didn’t purchase or operate the Al-Khalid tank.
Unfortunately for him it didn’t end there. As usual he contradicted himself.
QUESTION:
There are allegations that the Army commander was involved in a fraud when procuring arms for the Army
ANSWER BY FONSEKA:
All arms were procured for the Army through the Company Lanka Logistics. The Chairman of that Co. is Gatabaya Rajapakse, the Defense Secretary. All money dealings and transactions were done by them. We only do the technical analysis on them. Payments for them are all authorized by them.
http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=8724
The how can he explain this money dealing in addition to the Al Khalid deal?
“The newly-appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Sarath Fonseka, said on Wednesday that the island nation had cancelled the import of ammunition valued at $200 million from China and Pakistan following the end Eelam War IV. He also announced that India was sending 500 personnel to clear mines in the north.”
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/16/stories/2009071653321200.htm
What is the Main Battle Tank (MBT) of Sri Lanka? It is the mighty T-55. Although it is an old tank, given its enormous ability to take on the enemy - the LTTE - in our terrain, its cost advantage and durability won it the admiration and love of the soldiers. It is a Russian war tank but due to its outstanding success, many variants are manufactured in a number of countries including India. Among its competitors is the AL Khalid tank which is a later day tank. Its Pakistani made. It’s a good tank but less used than the T-55 tank around the world. It’s a carbon copy of Chinese NORINCO Company’s Type 90 tank. In fact the Al Khalid tank was the result of collaboration between NORINCO and Pakistan.
How many Al Khalid tanks were in Sri Lanka? None. But none other than General Sarath Fonseka purchased 22 AL Khalid tanks at a cost of US$100 million a few years ago! Where are the tanks?
That’s not all, he bypass all the anti-corruption mechanisms in place and entered into the purchase transaction himself. He himself finalized the deal!
“It was exactly a year ago, in the first week of May 2008, that Sri Lankan Army Chief Lt Gen Fonseka visited Pakistan and held detailed talks with his Pakistani counterpart Chief of Army Staff General Asfaq Parvez Kayani to finalise the purchase of high-tech arms for the Lankan armed forces, which were embroiled in an intense battle with the LTTE forces even at that time.
According to the report, during the talks with Pakistani military authorities, Lt Gen Fonseka had finalised a deal under which Pakistan supplied 22 Al-Khalid main battle tanks to Sri Lanka worth USD 100 million.”
Here is third party indisputable evidence of it.
http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/pakistan-played-major-role-in-ltte-defeat-sources/16/54/63044/on
Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary subsequently cancelled this order due to the wrongful nature of the purchase procedure, violating the gazette notification of the 30 July 2007 (http://www.lltl.lk/pdf/annexa_government_gazzette.pdf - violates number 16 of the prohibited list) and Sri Lanka didn’t purchase or operate the Al-Khalid tank.
Unfortunately for him it didn’t end there. As usual he contradicted himself.
QUESTION:
There are allegations that the Army commander was involved in a fraud when procuring arms for the Army
ANSWER BY FONSEKA:
All arms were procured for the Army through the Company Lanka Logistics. The Chairman of that Co. is Gatabaya Rajapakse, the Defense Secretary. All money dealings and transactions were done by them. We only do the technical analysis on them. Payments for them are all authorized by them.
http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=8724
The how can he explain this money dealing in addition to the Al Khalid deal?
“The newly-appointed Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Sarath Fonseka, said on Wednesday that the island nation had cancelled the import of ammunition valued at $200 million from China and Pakistan following the end Eelam War IV. He also announced that India was sending 500 personnel to clear mines in the north.”
http://www.thehindu.com/2009/07/16/stories/2009071653321200.htm
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