Responding to criticism that the Sri Lankan government had jeopardised relations with China by turning away a ship carrying a consignment of armaments ordered by the Army soon after the war ended in May, Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa on Saturday (Dec 26), said that he had no option but to refuse the cargo as that particular purchase was not required in the post-LTTE era.

In a brief interview with The Island, the Defence Secretary said that had he accepted the consignment, the government would have been forced to pay $ 32 million.

Opposition presidential candidate former Army Chief General (Rtd) Sarath Fonseka severely criticised the Defence Secretary for mismanaging a contentious issue. He said that the Defence Secretary’s ‘irresponsible actions’ had hurt China, a genuine friend of Sri Lanka. He insisted that the ammunition that the Defence Secretary had rejected was needed.

Rajapaksa said that the Chinese Ambassador in Colombo Yang Xiuping, who was in China at the time the ship reached the Colombo Port, had telephoned him. "I explained to her our inability to accept the cargo and she understood our position," he said adding that the cargo had been dispatched without the required paperwork. "Had we accepted the cargo, the Opposition would have accused me of ordering ammunition to receive kickbacks," he said.

An irate Defence Secretary said that he had also thwarted an attempt to unload the cargo at issue at the Colombo Port, though they said that it would be subsequently moved to another country. He expressed confidence that the rejection of the cargo would not trouble Sri Lanka’s diplomatic relations with China.

He said that the armed forces and the police would have to review their needs to prevent any waste in relation procurement of arms, ammunition and equipment. He said that the country could not afford to acquire ammunition unnecessarily, though some interested parties may push for more armaments.

He said that he took the full responsibility for turning away the Chinese cargo. "It was not a decision taken hastily," he said emphasising his determination to ensure transparency in military procurement.