It was a lie that I said I tied myself ...

I could do nothing else ...
 I'll never tread on Sri Lankan soil ....
- Samurdhi officer from Saudi

     The incident where Minister Mervyn Silva tied a samurdhi officer at the office of the provincial secretariat in Kelaniya on account that he had not participated at a dengue prevention campaign about 13 years ago created a great sensation. Because of that incident it resulted in certain protests too and later on he gave a statement to a rupavahini channel and said that he only gave such a performance well in advance according to a request made by the Minister and that he did so in order to set an example.

    The samurdhi officer, by name is Mohammed Irshad and presently has fled the island and is living in Saudi. He now says a different story. He now reveals that he did all this on an outside influence. The true incident which he had faced, he had exposed to the newspaper Ceylon Today last week in the following manner:
                                                                                                                                                The incident took place on August 3rd, 2010. I was informed by the provincial secretariat office to attend as the samurdhi manager. Therefore I went there. But I had to face an unanticipated kind of circumstances. Minister Mervyn Silva who was there reprimanded me in an insulting way saying that he'll teach me a lesson and contrary to my protest he took steps to have me tied to a tree. The incident was published even in the newspapers. As a result of this incident the service I rendered for 16 years as a samurdhi officer and the respect I maintained as a father of two cildren, I felt was destroyed.

 As my children were sick, I was compelled to remain at home and I was unable to report at the said programme. I reported this situation and pleaded with the Minister not to punish me. However, he did not give ear to me. Only one female spoke on my behalf. Apart from her, nobody came forward for my support. I got thoroughly disappointed. I kept walking on the road until dusk fell and when I reached home my wife and two children having seen the incident over the Rupavahini was absolutely shocked.

  Even before I went home my wife had received a telephone call asking her to come to the Kelaniya provincial council. The president there sent me with another individual to the residence of the Minister. He took me upstairs. He then asked me to sign a document saying that if I promise to forget the incident, he would give me money. But I refused the proposition A certain person then explained the calamity that could befall on me and my family. I had nothing else to do ... so I signed the letter.

 After the above situation I had to face insult after insult from officers and friends to the effect that I had taken 5 lakhs and a house. Then again on August 5th, 2010 I had to go to the Minister's residence and had to make a statement in front of cameras as and how the Minister wanted.

  Though I was a samurdhi officer, during my free time I went on hires on my three-wheeler and earned something and lived a peaceful life of my own. But after this unfortunate incident, I began to get insults from several quarter saying that I betrayed my duties for the sake of money. So I was cornered from all sides. I had absolutely nothing else to do .... but nobody understood my position. As a result of this problem, I resigned from my job. I found it difficult to face this situation and live in society.
                                                                                                                                                      The only thing I could do to free myself from this heartache was to go to some country .... and now I am in Saudi Arabia. I will never step into Sri Lanka".
In association with the article written by Niranjala Ariyawansha of Ceylon Today newspaper.