Minister of Finance Ravi Karunanayake yesterday (29) said over Rs.760 million of public money was was wastefully spent on the unsuccessful presentation of the Commonwealth Games bid by the former regime.

It was widely reported in media that the  project was handled by former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivad Cabraal, who is already under investigation by the Bribery Commission of Sri Lanka. He was also the co-chairman of Hambantota 2018 bid 

‘Hambantota 2018’ bid by Sri Lanka became unsuccessful as the right to host the 2018 Commonwealth Games was won by the ‘Gold Coast 2018 bid' present by Australia, which achieved a 43-27 majority by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly on November 11, 2011 in Saint Kitts. Cabraal travelled to St Kitts together with a 160 strong delegation that included co-chairman Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Namal Rajapaksa, MP, provincial councillor Anarkali Akarsha, former national cricketers Muttiah Muralitharan and Aravinda de Silva among others.

“It is disheartening to note that some public officials were directly involved in the process of promoting this exercise”, Karunanayake said in his interim budget speech which was made in Parliament yesterday. it was no secret that he was alluding to former Central Bank Governor Ajith Nivad Cabraal. 

Sri Lanka made this surprise bid for the Commonwealth Games on March 31, 2010, against a backdrop where the Hambantota city was undergoing extensive reconstruction, in the aftermath of the Tsunami disaster.

Meanwhile, Karunanayake also revealed that recent Air Bus purchases made by the loss-making national Air Line, has offered a VIP kit which was valued at Rs.1.95 billion, free of charge.

“A question could be asked as to why the cost was not renegotiated without including luxury equipment or is it another episode under the ‘mega deal’ category?”, the Minister asked 

He said that the new government will be vigilant on such practices and will be focused to ensure wastage of this nature will not recur.