Sri Lanka Airline’s German office runs anti-Rajapakse campaigns

by Anna Marie

(December 12, Berlin, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sri Lankan Airlines in Germany is located in Frankfurt, a busy business centre. Though it has only a staff about 10 it is central station for passenger and cargo collection in Europe.

Of late it has also become a political centre for the anti-Mahinda Rajapakse campaigns. The head of this station is Nissanka Samarasinghe, the brother of an Edtor to the one of weekly news papers in Colombo, who runs a virulent campaign against the Rajapakse government and family.

Following his sister’s political line Nissanka (“Nickey”) Samarasinghe is running a whispering campaign against the Rajapakse family accusing them of corruption and running down “the Mahinda Chintanaya” as an anti-Tamil racist program. This whispering campaign is spread among the Sri Lankan population, particularly the Tamil expatriates, in Germany by the Sri Lanka Airline office.

This is giving a negative image to Sri Lankan Airline..

Nissanka Samarasinghe joined Air Lanka in 1983. He was posted to VIenna Austria 1983. Later he was asked to leave the due to his underhand dealings of cross-border selling. He was also interdicted on accusations of taking money from airline agents but Air Lanka could not get enough to evidence to pin him. However, because he violated company code of conduct he was interdicted.

When this happened he didn’t go back to Colombo but stayed in Austria because his wife was employed in Austria.

After the questionable sale of Air Lanka to Emirates by the then President Chandrika Kumaratunga. Nissanka's sister launched a media campaign against the Emirates CEO, Peter Hill. It was a deliberate campaign to pressure Peter Hill to appoint Nissanka Samarasinghe as Country Manager of Germany and Austria. The campaign succeeded and after Nissanka Samarasinghe was appointed The Leader papers stopped their attack on Peter Hill.

“Nickey” Samarasinghe also closed the Frankfurt Station claiming that the London-Frankfurt route was not viable. There are unanswered questions as to the manner in which it was closed. Several losses are not accounted for and serious questions are hanging over “Nickey’s” head.
However now Sri Lanka Airline is having some good passenger loads. Knowledgeable sources that this is a windfall not due to his hard work but only due to the reason that LTU and Condoor Tourist Charters and Etihad Airways stopped their operations to Colombo. - Sri Lanka Guardian