CHEC Port City refutes allegations by Sri Lanka state minister

Jan 22, 2016 (LBO) – CHEC Port City Colombo in a letter to Sujeewa Senasinghe, state minister of international trade, has refuted a public statement by him of corruption in the Colombo Port City deal.

“The said statement attributed to you, which induces the reader to arrive at the irresistible conclusion that the project has been secured by the project company by offering bribes and/or commissions and/or other such financial inducements also creates the impression that the project company has been involved in corrupt practices,” the letter said.

“In response we wish to categorically emphasize the fact that the project company has not been involved in any form of bribery and/or corruption to secure the said project. It has never been the policy of the said project company to secure projects by resorting to bribery and corruption.”

Last week, Senasinghe told reporters that Sri Lanka will continue with the Colombo port city project after downsizing the previous agreement entered with China.

He stated that 50 acres was supposed to be given on a private deal to a prominent family of the previous government, and that part of the agreement will be changed.

Senasinghe said: “Now we have studied the full project and decided to downsize the project. We have also decided to take off the corruption part out of it.”

Jiang Houliang, the managing director of CHEC Port City Colombo, in the letter says: “every aspect of the project has been scrutinized and/or reviewed by different committees comprising of government officials, technical experts, environmentalists and other persons”

“However, not an iota of evidence surfaced which suggested that the project company has offered any bribes and/or has been involved in corrupt practices to secure the project.”

“Hence, we wish to categorially refute such insinuations and/or allegations which suggest that a certain portion of the reclaimed land was earmarked to be handed over to the members of a prominent family.”