Rs 44 million in the possession of any Sri Lankan - unless the amount is disputed, which it doesn't seem to be - is not peanuts. Even middle level trading companies in Sri Lanka do not have the luxury of that kind of money gathering interest in their bank vaults.

Undoubtedly, Mr. Ratwatte will be seeking legal advice. But he is a public figure. The war in the North-East was prosecuted under his command for seven years. He was also the Minister of Power and Energy during the concurrent period. On both fronts, allegations of corruption seemed to snowball even as he was at the zenith of power and authority.

This is why Anuruddha Ratwatte must account for this money to the public. Saying the Government is only trying to divert attention on the eve of peace talks with the LTTE - is itself a diversion by Mr. Ratwatte.

As for the government, we must add that there seems to have been a surfeit of raids and exposures which has added nothing new to the public perception that everything is corrupt in Sri Lankan politics.

At least some of the investigations that have begun must be seen to their logical end - the government cannot let matters rest after gaining a few headlines in the press.

Five-star progress
It was in that era of President J.R. Jayewardene that Sri Lanka was called a five-star democracy. Today, where else in the world would you have the Prime Minister talking of making Sri Lanka the hub of South Asian travel and trade, while one of his Ministers takes to the streets protesting the acquisition of land for the intention of developing the country's solitary International airport.

The International Air Transport Authority (IATA) has made it known to the Sri Lankan government that either it shows real intentions of building a second runway at Katunayake or forget IATA's support in making Sri Lanka the gateway to South Asia.

While Sri Lanka is pondering over such decisions, Bangalore in neighbouring India is on the fast track in making that city the South Asian hub. Of course they are not waiting for any by-your-leave from Colombo. It's not just Bangalore but other centres of Asian commerce as well, which are seeking to usurp Sri Lanka's fondest dreams of becoming an Asian hub - -and a Singapore for these parts.

Sri Lanka seems to have politics of dissonance whenever issues of research and development are in focus. But also, if its constitutional problems which need quick solutions and a spirit of consensus that are at issue, you can bet that the Sri Lankan politicians will be tearing each other apart in a spirit of political acrimony worthy of a saga of mediaeval intrigue. Our legislators can agree on anything, it would seem, except when it concerns the public good.

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