Minister Kabir Hashim, following his testimony before the Treasury Bond Commission yesterday, told media that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, who was Highways Minister had left behind a series of unpaid bills amounting to billions.
Minister Hashim addressing media outside the court room of the Treasury Bond Commission yesterday afternoon said he had treated the ministry as a ‘play house’.
Minister Hashim, explaining as to why he was summoned before the Commission said that he was asked about the Breakfast meeting he attended at the Central Bank on February 26, 2015. Minister Hashim said he and his ministry officials participated in the said meeting to request emergency funding for several road development projects which were unpaid by the previous regime.
“I went to this meeting accompanied by my ministry’s accountant and other officials to request funds for these projects which were already finished. Former Highways Minister, Mahinda Rajapaksa had acted like this ministry was his play house. There were millions of unpaid bills we had to see through,” Minister Hashim pointed out. Hashim also reprimanded certain groups who have said that he and Minister Malik Samarawickreme have requested President Maithripala Sirisena to postpone the hearing in an attempt to dodge giving evidence.
He said it is the responsibility of a good citizen of a country to appear before a court to give evidence when summoned and emphasised that it is the same values of good governance that he upholds.
“As a citizen it is our responsibility to provide our full cooperation for an ongoing investigation. One should never refuse to do so or run away from it. I fulfilled my responsibility today by giving evidence before the Commission today,” he added.