SL Ambassador to China clarifies claims on Lotus Tower project
September 20, 2019 11:19 am
The Ambassador of Sri Lanka to China, Dr. Karunasena Kodituwakku yesterday (19) issued an interim statement to clarify the “extent of interventions” in the Lotus Tower project by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing.
He said the construction of the Lotus Tower was initially originally to two Chinese companies, namely China National Electronics Importers & Exporters Corporation (CEIEC) and Aerospace Long-March International Trade Co. Ltd. (ALIT).
President Maithripala Sirisena has instructed Dr. Kodituwakku to look into the whereabouts of the ALIT as the letters posted to the company by the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) of Sri Lanka were returned to Colombo informing that there was no such company at the given address, according to the statement.
Dr. Kodituwakku says he had then assigned the Head of the Commercial Section of the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing to trace the current location of the ALIT.
The Embassy, after much effort, had found out that the ALIT had moved to a different location and withdrawn from the Lotus tower project without informing the TRC.
The ALIT had informed it was no longer involved in the Lotus Tower project when a delegation led by Dr. Kodituwakku had met with the company’s officials at the new premises where it is currently located.
Subsequently, a report about this visit and the meeting prepared by the Embassy was submitted to the TRC, says Dr. Kodituwakku.
“Simultaneously, we were able to establish connections with the other company (CEIEC), and the Lotus Tower project went ahead to be completed this year,” his statement further noted.
“The above information is given based on my recollections of the interventions made by the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Beijing regarding this project a few months ago,” Dr. Kodituwakku emphasized.
He added that the names of those who were present at the meeting we attended as well as the contents of the Embassy’s detailed report on what transpired at the meeting, will be issued for further clarification upon his return to Beijing on the weekend.
