However, the chief accountant of the ministry has repeatedly refused to make the payment, noting that the expenses related to the said work have been incurred outside the accepted legal procedure.

Tennakoon has first ordered that Rs. 2,685,550 be paid for the renovation of minister Rishad Bathiiudeen’s official room, meeting room, guest room and the personal staff room.

The accountant refused, noting the work had been done some time ago, and that that there was a risk of his being summoned to the FCID if the payment was made.

Later, Tennakoon has informed the accountant that minister Bathiudeen’s official residence near Sirimavo Bandaranaike Girls’ School at Colombo 07 needed to be renovated.

The accountant had summoned the parties involved and prepared the tender papers.

In the meantime, Tennakoon had informed him that the renovation work had already been done by the construction arm of the CWE and that Rs. 29.1 million be released to make the payments.

He has submitted a document in that regard.

The accountant looked into it and found the accepted procedure was violated in this instance too, and that no renovation work had taken place.

Tennakoon had tried to use the CWE construction arm as a cover and make the payment to Mega Constructions based in Puttalam, owned by a very close friend of minister Bathiudeen.

It is this company that had undertaken contracts for almost all projects carried out during the previous regime in Mannar, Puttalam, Madu, Kalpitiya and Vavuniya under Basil Rajapaksa’s ministry.

Liverpool company’s Rajan and Saman Chandraratne have been dealing with minister Bathiudeen’s interests in this contract work.

Tennakoon too, has now got involved and is aiding to abuse the ministry funds.