4:30 p.m.
I know Gamini Marapana is a good lawyer. He and Navin represented Thilanga for criminal cases. He represented Gotabaya. I saw him and I'm perfectly aware of the state of our judicial system. Hence why nobody wants to come here to invest in Sri Lanka, everyone wants to leave and the country's in perpetual ruination.
The Port City project is a very bad idea. The idea of a port, Hambantota is based on a proven idea of building commercial harbors. The idea of an airport, Matale is grounded on a sensible framework of international airports. The very idea of a "international financial services centre" makes sense.
It works in many countries. Ireland is the best example.
So, what's up?
It's the way it is done that matters. In my companies, or Cyberspace Command, it's true that i might be chairman, but I was always keen on appointing just about any █████████ (as Jacques points out, I give out positions like candy) as a senior manager or director. This meant, Jacques was sitting chairman or any number of people were sitting CEO. And I generally never attended or did anything.
Why does this matter? How is it relevant to Port City? It's because I am not really the fault line. The chain of custody or responsibility goes to everyone else. So, I can't be blamed if anything goes wrong. Simple as that.
Why is this relevant to Port City?
When the Hambantota Port fails. When the Matale Airport fails. When Sri Lankan Airlines fails. There is a chain of blame. It goes to Rajapaksa. It's his idea. It also goes deeper than this. Straight to ██████who got Rajapaksa elected.
Sadly, when █████████kills a number of people. What this means is that█████is again indirectly responsible.
Does that mean that when I do horrid things people around me or those who supported or support me are also to blame?
I haven't done anything awful. I don't think I have even said anything that bad. I have thought horrid things. But even if you're a Zoroastrian who believes you must think good thoughts, speak good words and do good deeds. I don't really agree with you. I have a right to freedom of thought.
When Rajapaksa is taking $15,000,000,000 USD or more to invest in Port City, it's a huge amount of money. It's a lot more than he's used for $1.5b Hambantota Port or this ~$240m Matale Airport. Much more than he's wasting on these roads that people can't even use.
Where is Rajapaksa going to get this $15,000,000,000 USD?
He's spending more than $15b.
And what's the purpose of it?
How are you going to earn off it?
I understand his inarguable thinking behind appointing a lawyer to defend his Port City project as its chairman.
But how are you going to earn off it?
See the problem with Ireland, is that their --
Well. Jesus ███████ Christ really.
First off, "this is Sri Lanka" is what we keep telling everyone. So, no need to remind Rajapaksa of that. He's made those 4 words abundantly clear. So, when the whole world believes it, they will not come here.
Ireland has Irish and English as official languages. So, they can do business globally. How can MNCs come here when we speak Sinhala or Tamil?
Have you ever been to a Sri Lanka Courts? How can a MNC expect any justice in a place like this? When they tell you to speak Sinhala or Tamil or wait 2 years for the next court hearing, can they survive? No.
████ thief thinking, of cheaply saying, "oh we'll cut taxes for 40 years" to entrap and snare firms may make sense to █████████. But it's not the way big firms do business. They see red flags and they see landmines. They don't want to go for it. They don't want to risk their reputation most of all.
See the problem with Ireland, is that their international financial services centre is just simulated cash flow and financial statements mostly. They do not really go into the Irish government. It looks like it does.
It's like that Irish leprechaun gold. It vanishes. Poof.
This is why Port City, is merely a mirage, fool's gold, and nothing more, and to apply the words of Donald John Trump:
"a hoax invented by and for the Chinese (Chinese CCP government and its patron firms) to make Sri Lankan enterprises noncompetitive."
It is not going to help any of us.
The roads are just corrupt theft of taxpayer money (widely held opinion). That's all it is. The way they're doing it is wrong. They spend $10m+ per km of paved roads, when it costs less than $4-5m. We'll instead give our people real rights to participate, invest and improve road cost structure efficiency.
Transparency isn't about disclosing: "oh yeah, I published the tenders openly, on the newspaper, it's open bidding, fully transparent".
It's about not stealing, it's about including firms to reduce costs and it's--
Jesus ███████ Christ really. I mean...
