SC In The Dark

By Nirmala Kannangara

The fifty-foot chandelier, which adorned the Ceremonial Court of the Supreme Court, has gone missing since March 2014. It is alleged that this enormously expensive chandelier has been given to the Urban Development Authority (UDA) which was under the then Defence Secretary, Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, by the former Chief Justice Mohan Peiris. This was confirmed to The Sunday Leader by the Marshal of the Supreme Court, Mr Premathilake who said that he had written to the UDA to find out as to where this chandelier is now.

“There was a request from the UDA to the then Chairman of the Board of Management, who was the then Chief Justice Mohan Peiris, for the chandelier to be given to them to give it to the Auditor General’s Department, during the time of the Supreme Court refurbishment drive,” Premathilake said.

According to Premathilake, the entire Supreme Court complex was refurbished by the Chinese Government under a Chinese grant and all the fittings and furniture was replaced with brand new ones.

“The refurbishment drive was started in December 2013 and was completed in March 2015. It was in March 2014, the then UDA Management made a request to the Board of Management headed by the then Chief Justice.

“Since all fittings and furniture were to be replaced, the then UDA made a request to the then Chief Justice to give it to them to give to the Attorney General’s Department. As this is a transaction between two government institutions, it was not given for money but given free of charge in March 2014,” Premathilake added.

When asked whether he, as the Marshal of the Supreme Court exactly knows whether this chandelier had been given to the Auditor General’s Department by the UDA or whether it is still with the UDA, Premathilake said that he was not aware whether it was given to the Auditor General’s Department or whether it is still with the UDA.

However Premathilake said that the new Board of Management wanted him to inquire from the UDA about this expensive chandelier as there is a doubt about what really has happened to it and to report it back to the Board of Management.

“I sent a letter to the UDA last week and expecting a reply soon so then we can find out whether it has been gifted to the Auditor General’s Department or not,” Premathilake said.

When asked whether this chandelier was a gift to a previous head of the state by the Chinese Government, Premathilake said that not only the chandelier but also the entire building was a gift to the Sri Lankan Government by the Chinese.

However, highly reliable sources from the Attorney General’s Department, who did not wish to be named, said that they were not given any chandelier by the UDA. “Its two years since we shifted to Battaramulla from Colombo. Neither the Colombo nor the Battaramulla office received any chandelier or even a small lighting globe from the UDA. If the UDA claims that this particular chandelier has been given to our department, let anyone come and check it as it is 50 foot in height, then no one can hide it but should adorn the main hall,” sources said.