Former Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia Udayanga Weeratunga had not returned his diplomatic passport upon receiving the normal passport, Foreign Affairs Deputy Minister Dr Harsha de Silva said.
He was responding to a question by JVP MP Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa in Parliament yesterday. He said Weeratunga had promised the Foreign Ministry via email to return the diplomatic passport upon receiving the normal passport, but he had not done that.
Chief Opposition Whip and JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake observing that Weeratunga had been spotted in countries where former President Mahinda Rajapaksa travelled recently asked why the Government does not cancel the passport issued to Weeratunga via the system.
The Deputy Minister said Weeratunga had not been spotted after an international arrest warrant was issued through Interpol on October 20.
He said the diplomatic passport of Weeratunga has already been cancelled.
The Deputy Minister also said Weeratunga, who served as Sri Lankan Ambassador to Russia from July 18, 2006 to February 28, 2015, has allegations of involving in a financial fraud during purchase of four MIG 27 aircraft from Ukraine in 2006.
He said the FCID is conducting investigations on this incident which incurred a huge financial loss to Sri Lanka.
Giving reasons on the delay of taking legal action against Weeratunga, the Deputy Minister said the relevant documents and information pertaining to the case had to be obtained from the relevant authorities in Ukraine, Singapore and Hong Kong and that the process was time consuming. However, he said the case pertaining to Weeratunga is scheduled to be taken up on November 25.
MP Jayatissa questioned why the Foreign Ministry wrote to Emigration and Immigration Controller in February, 2015 asking to issue a normal passport to Weeratunga when there were charges against him and why no action was taken when his wife came to collect the passport on March 6.
The Deputy Minister said he was not aware of a letter issued by the Foreign Ministry for the purpose, but said he would look into the matter also adding that there were no allegations against Weeratunga’s wife.
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