Namal still to pay Rs. 2.6 mn power bill due for his wedding in 2019?

Former Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) Provincial Council member Nalin Hewage said the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) informed him in reply to an RTI filed by him that Parliamentarian Namal Rajapksa has still not paid the electricity bill due for his wedding in 2019.

He told the Daily Mirror that he filed an RTI to get it confirmed whether Rajapaksa had paid the Rs. 2.6 million electricity bill due for his wedding after he learned that Namal had still not paid the bill.

“I said during a TV show several months ago that Namal has still not paid the electricity bill for his wedding and Namal told me that he had not got any bill as reported. Then, I filed an RTI with the CEB to get it confirmed, I got the reply today,” he said.

He said the reply sent by the CEB said an electricity bill amounting to Rs. 26, 82,246.57 due for Weeraketiya house for providing security lights and generators for a function held at the house between September 12, 2019 and September 15, 2019 has still not been paid.

He said according to the CEB, security lights and generators had been installed for the said function at Weeraketiya house following a request.

The CEB said it had borne a cost of Rs. 26, 82,246.57 in electricity charges and supplying the above facilities and despite requests made to settle the payment, it had not been paid as yet. 

When contacted, the CEB confirmed that it had issued a letter to Nalin Hewage in response to an RTI request.

CEB General Manager (Commercial), V.V. Janeth told Daily Mirror that the statement from the CEB had been issued following an RTI filed by Nalin Hewage and the payment for the bill was yet to be made. 

When contacted, MP Namal Rajapaksa said the CEB had not sent such a bill to his father Mahinda Rajapaksa or him as yet and said he would write to the CEB officially regarding the matter.

He told the Daily Mirror that they had paid all the bills that had been received under him and his father’s name upto now. (Ajith Siriwardana)