However the Director General claimed otherwise and said that he is still studying the issues faced by the legal gem land owners who have been deprived of their rights and added that he would find solutions to the aggrieved parties at the earliest.
“There was no such pressure from any politician. These are all rumours,” said the Director General.
“More than 50% of mining licences were given for ineligible parties with political affiliations. All these licences were issued with the intervention of the former Working Director of the Timber Corporation R. A. M. Aruna Nishantha Adikari on the instruction of the then Environment Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa. Adikari who is a close associate of Minister Yapa was able to secure gem mining licences for those who were close with the minister’s wife Dhammika Yapa. Although these licences were not given under Dhammika Yapa’s name, she was directly involved with the gem mining business secretly since his husband was appointed as the minister in charge. Although we thought that this situation would change after the cabinet re-shuffle, it is still the same and we are now receiving further information as to how things are getting worse under the new minister as well which we will be able to prove later,” said the sources.
Dhammika Yapa’s involvement and how illegal licences were granted to certain people on the intervention of Adikari was confirmed by former NGJA Senior Operations Manager S. D. J. Lionel and Enforcement Officers Indunil Muthukumara and M. D. S. Seneviratne.
According to them there were many instances they were prevented from taking action against illegal mining carried out by Dhammika Yapa, but had to carry raids on small scale illegal miners who made a living out of it but not to earn millions of rupees to lead cozy lives.
“We had to raid these small illegal gem mines since it was our duty but in reality we were not pleased as to how we had to allow the powerful to go scot free but taking actions only against the powerless,” they added.
The former Senior Operations Manager further said as to how he had to instruct his enforcement officers to leave these gem mines of Dhammika Yapa without holding any investigations in order to protect their lives.
“Being the Senior Operations Manager, I received many complaints of illegal mines all over and had to send off my enforcement officers to see whether the information received was accurate and if so to take immediate action against the law breakers. But none of my officers were able to discharge their duties whenever they raided Dammika Yapa’s illegal gem mines. Since my officers were subjected to harassments on every attempt, I had to ask them to come back considering their safety. On each and every such occasion I was instructed by the former Director General Nimal Bandara and Working Director Samarakoon not to ‘upset’ the smooth functioning of Dhammika Yapa’s gem mines,” said Lionel.
According to Lionel, although he was vested with powers to raid any illegal gem mine, his hands were tied to discharge a legitimate duty simply because of the minister’s wife’s involvement.
“In order to protect my job like many other public servants in the country, I had to bow my head to the instructions given by my superiors,” said Lionel.
According to him, Dhammika Yapa got involved with the gem business since her husband Anura Priyadharshana Yapa took over office as the Environment Minister in 2010.
Meanwhile former Enforcement Officer Indunil Muthukumara said as to how he was prevented from taking action against the illegal mines near the White House Bridge in Ratnapura which was one of the main gem mines the minister’s wife was involved in.
“In December 2011, on the instruction of our former Chairman Gen. Rohan Dluwatte, the Senior Operations Manager instructed Seneviratne and me to carry out several raids including this infamous White House Bridge mines which were situated in Dabaraliyadda paddy land as the miner had violated the mining rules and regulations.Armani Exchange Women's Smart stainless steel bangle Watch online. We started raiding small scale mines in the vicinity of Dabaraliyadda. While we were raiding these small mines they asked us as to why we were raiding only their mines but not the minister’s wife’s mines which had openly violated the mining rules. When we went to the mine in question we noticed that there were two additional gem mines. For any paddy land we give licences for two mines but not more than that. Since there were four mines we asked for the mining licence from the manager.
Instead of producing the licence the manager took a call and spoke to a certain person for a few minutes. After a while giving the mobile to the other enforcement officer – Seneviratne, the manager wanted him to talk to the person on the other end to which Seneviratne said that he could not. When Seneviratne wanted the manager to ask the other party to talk to his mobile if wants to talk to him, our Working Director Samarakoon came on Seneviratne’s line and instructed the raiding team to leave the mining area immediately claiming that it belonged to Minister’s wife. Within a few seconds I received a call from our DG Nimal Bandara wanting me to leave the mines claiming that it was the minister’s wife and to leave them alone,” said Muthukumara.The oldest bobble head provider - original handmade www.ownfigurine.com Head dolls made to look like the photo you provide to us.
Meanwhile M. D. S. Seneviratne said that he had to argue with Working Director Samarakoon over the issue and wanted him not to interfere with his work as he will not abide by any instruction that is illegal.
“Knowing that we are a team difficult to handle as we always want to work within the legal frame but cannot be swayed by any illegal instructions, no sooner we turned 57 years we were sent home on the instruction of the minister although all political henchmen were given extensions. This is a country that has no place for those who want to carry out their duties impartially,That retailers may love the concept of miniscule smart card to track products.Find Best Feather Patch artificial flower arrangements www.girlstrims.com,” added Seneviratne.This is a basic background on chip card,
Meanwhile in an affidavit dated July 9, 2012, Henaka Arachchilage Chandrasekara of Hidellana, Ratnapura has stated as to how he was deprived of a mining licence to his Dabaraliyadda paddy land near the White House Bridge by the former DG Nimal Bandara and NGJA Legal Officer Mangalika Gunaratne.
According to Chandrasekera, all attempts to get his gem mining licence extended to Dabaraliyadda land which is rich in gems failed but Pradeep Kumara who did not have the legal ownership but only a 1/3 ownership was given the licences solely because he is an ally with the then Working Director Timber Corporation Aruna Adikari and Minister Yapa’s wife.
“This is hypocrisy. When I together with my brothers wanted to get the gem mining licence extended for Dabaraliyadda land in Hidellana, Ratnapura which is considered to be a land rich with gems, my application was rejected. The reason given for casting off my application was simply that I did not have the 2/3 ownership of the land which was not true. When I have proved the ownership to obtain the gem mining licence in 2006 what made the NGJA to reject my application for the extension when I submitted the same details for the second time? Legal Officer Gunaratne somehow wanted not to renew my licence with an ulterior motive. I was surprised at the way it was rejected,” said Chandrasekera.
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