At the votes on the environment ministry, the president told parliament that all licenses given to foreign companies to carry out gem mining had been annulled.

 

But, only two licenses had so far been cancelled.

 

Supreme Global Holdings and its affiliate Ratnayake Brothers still have the lands DH 11396 A at Ganga Gavawatte in Eheliyagoda and RP 86936 A, Paradise Estate, Ratnapura.

 

The two companies have suspended mining, but the license is still with them.

 

Top officials of the Authority have thus misled the minister and done so, for underhand deals.

 

Also, Moneragala district director general of the Authority M.L.I.M. Ranjith had been reinstated and given a promotion after the presidential investigation commission suspended him over bribery and corruption charges.

 

Pursuant to internal audit and commission inquiries, he was suspended on 20 January 2014 for having acted fraudulently in the auction of gem land at Thammennawa in Kataragama.

 

Authority employees denounce this by the government which has claimed that there would be no room for the corrupt under its good governance.