Hot on the heels of Foreign Ministry’s decision to recall Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Norway Asela Weerakoon for not being supportive enough of the country’s propaganda drive against the LTTE, the ministry had moved to send Rodney Perera to Oslo, well informed sources told The Island.

The sources said that the ministry had already informed the Parliamentary High Posts Committee headed by Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake of its decision. Perera, a member of the Sri Lanka Foreign Service, had to return to Colombo after lawyer Hemantha Waranakulasuriya, a political appointee, succeeded him as Sri Lanka’s Ambassador to Rome, the sources said.

Sources said that the Director General of the America Division would certainly receive the approval of the Parliamentary High Posts Committee.

Rodney is the son of former UNP Gampaha District strongman Paul Perera.

Sources said that Asela, son of retired civil servant Bradman Werakoon, had been accused of refusing to facilitate an anti-LTTE photographic exhibition in Oslo arranged by the Presidential Secretariat, a charge vehemently denied by the career diplomat. Weerakoon is alleged to have told organisers that such an event would be detrimental to his efforts to build relations with the Oslo-based Tamil groups, sources said.Another source said that Weerakoon had earned the wrath of a section of the government for being too involved in a visit to Oslo by UNP MP Sajith Premadasa. Although our sources earlier said that Weerakoon was believed to have made representations to the government and got his transfer deferred, The Island learns that the government had wanted to replace Weerakoon with Rodney without delay.

The Island learns that Weerakoon had strongly denied all allegations against him, emphasising his commitment to Sri Lanka’s cause.

In fact, Weerakoon’s predecessor, too, also from the career service, had his stint in Oslo cut short under controversial circumstances, sources said.