23rd July 2000

By Alia

Supplier blacklisted

One top man in uniform has come down hard on errant suppliers.

He has blacklisted the local agent of an Eastern European supplier.

The reason? For failing to ensure some pieces of important equipment were not repaired by the principals in terms of the purchase agreement.

The equipment which was shipped to the country concerned has been seized by the Customs there. Demurrage costs are said to be mounting.

The precincts of the organisation has been declared out of bounds for the local agent or his representatives.

Top brass in cyber war

Intelligence sleuths are probing the latest cyber war, one where some have taken time off the battlefield to snipe at colleagues. This is all on a website.

This new star wars, insiders say, is all over a top slot.

Some of the material printed from the web site are now doing the rounds.

Powerful middleman

In their bid to keep the middleman out, some Government top rungers wanted a middleman left out of military procurement deals with manufacturers in West Asia.

They made it known to one or two suppliers only to be told that there would be no deal if that middleman was not there.

It has now been revealed that the man, one who served in uniform in the early part of his career, is a powerful man. No wonder he had powerful connections in Sri Lanka.

During his stint in the military, he had served as an aide to a strongman who is now the country's leader.

Weighty deal

The two member purchase mission returned to Colombo after a three week long tour of a one time communist State. Talks were held and inspections were made but no deal was finalised.

Now comes the story that the duo's personal luggage weighed over 170 kilogrammes, far in excess of the regular 20 kgs they carried.

Seeing the world

Even if he was not an expert in the specialised subject and was serving in an altogether different branch in the organisation, the man was in a two member delegation to the United States. They were there to examine specialised equipment.

When one senior official questioned a higher authority, the reply came promptly. He declared "he has been sent on compassionate grounds." Apparently the man who has been useful to many a boss had not travelled abroad before.

Rajpal Abeynayake's Column

Editorial/ Opinion Contents