Rohitha’s sister-in-law to be Sri Lanka HC in Singapore

Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama’s sister-in-law, Jayathri Ranjani Samarakone, has been named Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner-designate to Singapore.

The former SriLankan airlines employee is expected to receive the blessings of the High Posts Committee headed by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake which recently received the proposal.

Recently the foreign minister promoted his brother-in-law, Palitha Ganegoda, to the post of the Deputy High Commissioner in New Delhi. He had previously held the post of minister-counsellor.

The government has packed all ranks Sri Lankan missions abroad with political appointees.

Well informed sources said the percentage of the career diplomats in the missions has hit an all time low due to the unprecedented increase in outsiders accommodated.

Recently a lavish party was thrown at `Temple Trees’ with choice wines and delectable food served, to coincide with Presidential Media Director Chandrapala Liyanage going off to Rome to assume a senior diplomatic position in the mission there headed by another political appointee.

Bogollagama recently turned up uninvited in Rome when the president was there for an FAO meeting. He was eventually slotted in as the president’s interpreter at that meeting.

Although, the minister’s tireless efforts to counter the LTTE propaganda overseas had been lauded by many, the number of his overseas visits had been shocking, well informed sources said.

But the ministry has had its successes, the most recent being getting Israel to deny satellite transmission facilities to the LTTE, they said.