UNP Colombo list: Mystery deepens

Colombo: The controversy over the rejected UNP list to the Colombo Municipal Council polls took a dramatic turn yesterday when the two member committee probing the issue came across evidence of a purported 'malayali charm', as oil had been found in the list when it reached Colombo Parliamentarian M.H. Mohammed at 11.45 a.m. on February 16.

The evidence before the two member committee now points fingers at the Secretary to the Leader of the Opposition, Naufer Rahuman and S.Collure, Private Secretary to Parliamentarian, Milinda Moragoda.

They are alleged to have removed the nomination list from the UNP headquarters that morning to be brought to Mohamed who was due to handle it over to Mayoralty candidate, Sirisena Cooray at the Kachcheri.

According to the findings, the two youth vacancies of Mr. T. Maheswaran and former MP Lilantha Perera had been vacant even on that morning though the list had been finalised the previous night by the UNP leader and his deputy.

Former CMC Councillor T.M.Sangadasa who was refused nomination by his rival Mohammed Maharoof too was included in the list by the UNP leader and UNP General Secretary, N.V.K.K. Weragoda had accordingly placed his signature on the left of Sangadasa's name.

When 'Siri Kotha' had informed Maharoof of the two youth vacancies, Maharoof had sent an underaged youth to 'Siri Kotha' to be included in the youth list. There had been no lawyers there to check the final list as even Weragoda had been busy at Kirula Road, Narahenpita residence of Prof.G.L.Peiris attending to a last minute problem of the Moratuwa list.
Evidence reveals that Rahuman and Collure had called on Ms.Chitra Perera, a senior clerk in charge of the CMC list and requested that the list be given to them to be taken to Mohammed's residence. Ms.Perera had sought time to photo copy the list. But Naufer had said they were in haste as time was running out. Ms.Perera had however taken a photo copy. In that Sangadasa's name stands at number 16.
The Collure-Rahuman combination had then come to Prof.G.L.Peiris's Kirula Road residence in search of Weragoda. At this point it is revealed that Collure had asked the security officer on duty for a bottle of 'tipex'. The security officer who testified before the committee had admitted he gave Collure the tipex bottle.

Evidence further reveal that the duo thereafter had gone to the adjoining Buddhist temple, placed the nomination list on the "Mal Asanayaya', reportedly tipexed Sangadasa's name, replaced it with a name called Wijayapala who is the Coordinating Secretary of Maharoof. While attending to this matter, some oil on that table had smudged the list.

At 11.35 am, the duo had brought the list to Mohammed. When Mohammed had seen oil on the list he had refused to handle it. Azath Sally who had been with Mohammed had glanced through the youth names and Mohammed had rushed to the Kachcheri to hand it over to Cooray.

Evidence state that Cooray unaware of what was in the list had submitted it to the Returning Officer. It was later rejected.

Yesterday UNP circles were discussing the outcome of the two member committee report. Some are expected to demand disciplinary action against the culprits as they view the entire episode as a conspiracy.

Another section was planning to seek the assistance of the Criminal Investigation Department to probe the issue.
