SriLankan Airlines Chairman Ajith Dias has come under pressure, not only from the government but also from his board of directors as he has so far failed to take any action against its CEO Kapila Chandrasena, who was appointed by the previous government.
Soon after Dias was appointed as the Chairman of the SriLankan Airlines various parties requested him to take action against Chandrasena who was known to be a close associate of the former first family.
In the absence of immediate action against the CEO, the Ministry has now appointed a four-member committee appointed to look into the alleged misdemeanors and mismanagement by the former management of the national carrier SriLankan has been directed to submit its report by March 30
The Committee appointed by Ports and Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunga is headed by good governance and human rights activist and senior lawyer J.C. Weliamuna and comprise U.H. Palihakkara, B.A.W. Abeywardana and M.K. Bandara has its other members.
However, the reason behind Ajith Dias's soft-pedaling on the matter is Aravinda de Silva, who is the brother in law of Kapila Chandrasena. Ajith Dias, a prominent business leader in the apparel sector, is also the business partner of Aravinda de Silva, the vice captain of the World Cup winning Sri Lankan cricket team in 1996. The Committee appointed by Ports and Aviation Minister Arjuna Ranatunga is headed by good governance and human rights activist and senior lawyer J.C. Weliamuna and comprise U.H. Palihakkara, B.A.W. Abeywardana and M.K. Bandara has its other members.
Interestingly, Arjuna Ranatunga, who was the captain of the same team, is now functioning as the Cabinet Minister of Sports and Civil Aviation.
