Jaliya Wickramasuriya's chartered flight cost SriLankan Rs7.8mn

Colombo (News1st): Representatives from the Attorney General’s Department and SriLankan Airlines were removed from a team that was negotiating a deal with Qatar, to allow more Qatar Airways flights to land in Colombo, in 2003 by then Prime Minister, Ranil Wickremesinghe. This was revealed at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on irregularities at SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering, and Mihin Lanka today (Feb 5). Testifying at the commission today Sumudu Upatissa Head of Revenue Management at SriLankan stated that former Sri Lankan Ambassador to the United States, Jaliya Wickramasuriya had ordered a chartered flight from SriLankan airlines in April 2013 to travel from Washington to Mattala, and had billed its expense to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. This charter flight which accommodated 100 passengers had cost the airlines USD 62,250 approximately more than Rs. 7.8 million, which SriLankan airlines is yet to receive.