LEN – www.lankaenews.com | Let’s start purging foreign services from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Saudi Arabia..!

Let’s start purging foreign services from the Sri Lankan Embassy in Saudi Arabia..!

-Reported by Riyadh Collective

(Lanka-e-News -September 29, 2024, 11:00 PM) In recent years, it has been observed that the ambassadors, officials and staff of the Sri Lankan embassies abroad have acted as if they were beyond the purview of the Sri Lankan government.

Elevator for a two-story house…

As a result, the embassies functioned according to their own wishes, ignoring policies, decisions or circulars from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Sri Lankan Embassy in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, is a good example. Despite the ministry’s regulations, this embassy continues to operate in its own way. The previous ambassador is said to have misused Sri Lankan government funds during his time in office to install an elevator in a two-storey house he rented in Riyadh, an action that went unnoticed by many. Despite spending millions of rupees on renting the house, the current ambassador did not even live there. A new house was rented instead, resulting in more financial waste, with some of this money reportedly being pocketed. The State Department remains unresponsive and unaware of these ongoing embezzlements.

A favor for Ahmad Saween’s mother…

Moreover, while visiting the Makkah region on official or unofficial duties, the former ambassador stayed for free at a hotel managed by a Sri Lankan named Ahmad Saween. In return for this favor, the ambassador secured a secretarial position for Saween’s daughter at the embassy, bypassing all proper recruitment procedures of the Sri Lankan government. The woman, who has no educational qualifications, got the job solely because of her father’s connection with the former ambassador. She continues to work at the embassy, engaging in various fraudulent activities and serving as personal secretary to the new ambassador. Her diplomatic appointment raises questions as she resides in the country with no apparent qualifications other than her ties to the former ambassador. Why is the Ministry of Foreign Affairs silent about these illegal appointments?

The ambassador’s mistress…

Furthermore, domestic workers who arrive at the embassy reception center after facing various problems are reportedly forcibly taken to the ambassador’s residence. This was made possible by the ambassador’s mistress, who allegedly acted with his knowledge and support. These domestic workers are not only forced to work in her household but are also allegedly forced into sexual exploitation by her family members. One of those workers developed a sexually transmitted disease, and after her mother intervened, she was taken for medical treatment.

The nine accomplices…

A total of nine people, including the ambassador’s secretary, were appointed to the embassy on the basis of false information, misleading the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. These locally recruited staff were selected not based on qualifications, but on their political connections and family ties to the ambassador. This has contributed to the inefficiency of the embassy’s operations.

Manusha Nanayakkara’s 17 unqualified henchmen..

In addition, 17 employees, including civil servants, have been recruited in the past three months despite not meeting the necessary qualifications. All these individuals are political appointees and are close associates of former Minister of Labor and External Employment, Manusha Nanayakkara.

Until all these individuals are removed and qualified personnel are appointed, we will continue to monitor this situation closely. In the future, more irregularities and fraud within this embassy will come to light as we work to transform this embassy into a more efficient and capable institution, as hoped by the patriotic Sri Lankan community working in Saudi Arabia.