Abuse of President’s Fund: None were given over Rs.1 million outside procedure except on one occasion : RW

In response to allegations about reimbursements of medical expenses of political representatives from the President’s Fund, former President Ranil Wickremesinghe said there were numerous requests at personal levels for financial benefits, but none was paid in excess of Rs.1 million and outside the procedure except on one occasion.  

In a detailed response to allegations over the misuse of the President’s Fund, he said cash release for 8000 applicants or patients had not been made by July 26, 2022 and another 3000 applications had been submitted seeking financial assistance by the end of December, 2022.   

He said that steps were taken to dispense with financial donations from the Fund and clear the backlog within the course of that year, and it cost Rs.1. 5 billion.   

According to the statement, he took steps to release money in the span of three days upon submission of applications. The period for submission of applications was extended to 60 days instead of 30 after discharge from hospitals. Besides, an appeal board was established to reconsider applications with disputes. Steps were taken to register new hospitals in areas outside Colombo with the Fund for the benefit of people living there. Financial donations were paid in view of newly identified diseases. Payment amounts were increased from 50 percent to 100 percent. We began the payment of Rs. 1 million for children undergoing liver transplants at Ragama hospital, he said in the statement.   

In response to allegations about reimbursements of medical expenses of political representatives, he said there were numerous requests at personal levels, but none was paid in excess of Rs.1 million and outside the procedure except on one occasion.   

According to the former President, former Chief Minister of the Western Provincial Council Isuru Devapriya received Rs. 1 million for heart surgery, former MP Sarath Kongahage Rs. 500,000 for heart surgery, former MP S. C. Muthukumarana Rs. 400,000 for the purchase of hearing aid, former MP S. A. Jagath Kumara Rs. 1 million for heart surgery.   
 Besides, leading actress Malani Fonseka had been donated Rs.5 million. Mr. Wickremesinghe said though it had been disputed because she remained an MP in the past, some artistes had benefitted from the Fund during the past couple of years.   

He said payments over Rs. 1 million each had been made in view of a large number of small children during the last two years. According to the President’s Fund a number of social welfare measures for the upliftment of people’s living conditions during his time were initiated.