Funds seeking priest makes fraudulent claim

Rev Jeyanesan should be transparent with his work; submission of accounts overdue more than ten years.
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By Victor Karunairajan

(January 23, Toronto, Sri Lanka Guardian) Over the last four decades and a half, apart from the ethnic nightmare in Sri Lanka and its horrendous consequences that have devastated the Tamil community in particular and ravaged the country considerably, there have been certain individuals who have taken advantage of these appalling circumstances and self-enriched themselves by employing scheming and highly questionable means. This is a parallel to predacious plunder and pillage.

People who offer themselves to work in the fields to alleviate the terrible conditions that are the fate of thousands affected in various ways including displacement and destruction of lives and properties must be honest and have their hands clean at all times. Their dedication to the cause they undertake must be one of total commitment.

Whatever they do and how they manage their affairs especially that which involves finances, particularly those generously made available to them must be transparent. There have been far too many people involved in cunning, crafty and conniving operations of deceit and deception which were seen at their worst soon after the tsunami, Boxing Day 2004.

No one should blindly support any individual or institution who or that is unwilling to be transparent. This has been one of our biggest drawbacks and has led to the rampant growth of corruption, the most malignant of our social cancers. Today in Sri Lanka this is so widespread that it has become somewhat like an accepted culture. Tragically those who challenge this are looked down as nuisance factors and are even attacked verbally and physically and subjected to all kinds of ignominious humiliation.

There are even individuals who use the web technology to support such shamsters, scamsters and shysters and inundate the unsuspecting public with false information and reports and millions are affected because their voice is denied the means to be heard. Furthermore, one is not supposed to rock the boat even if it is laden with stinging scorpions and deadly serpents!

The Rev Sellathurai Jeyanesan who courts a bogus doctorate calls himself the president of the American Ceylon Mission. He has recently sent a circular on the Wanni situation, taking on himself a status that has not been conferred on him by any legitimate authority. The letter is so crafted that on the surface it appears to have some semblance of validity but it is a fraudulent representation claiming himself as president of the American Ceylon Mission.

In his latest letter written as head of the American Ceylon Mission he concludes with the following appeal: “Please do pray for them and do whatever you could do from your end.”

Sometimes earlier he canvassed funds for work among people in Wanni stating that they were affected by the war situation there. This claim has been thoroughly investigated and whatever information garnered indicates a great deal of concern. It is outrageous and utterly unacceptable that this priest should attempt to use a heartbreaking civilian calamity in Wanni, just like the way he conducted himself immediately after the tsunami, to seek funds when his record in this respect is devoid of veracity and truthfulness, let alone transparency.

Firstly, he is not the president of the American Ceylon Mission. The American Ceylon Mission is an incorporated body which is an innate and inherent part of the Jaffna Diocese of the Church of South India (JDCSI). The Rev Jeyanesan broke away from the JDCSI when he failed in his bid to succeed the Rt Rev Subramaniam Jebanesan (no relation) as the bishop of the diocese. He was only one of the many candidates considered by the Synod of the Church of South India for the bishopric of the JDCSI.

In order to get the support of the General Secretary of the Church of South India he even attempted to bribe her with a bottle of Scotch, perfume, chocolates and American dollars. Much to his shock, he was shown the door by the good lady. This happened in the headquarters of the Church of South India in Chennai, India.

Since then and even before, he has led a scandalous campaign against the current head of the JDCSI, the Rt Rev Dr Daniel Thiagarajah and even instituted several court cases against him in Sri Lanka and also in India. In all of these actions, he came a cropper. During a period of a decade when he was in charge of the Eastern Province division of the JDCSI, he had raised vast sums of funds overseas especially in the US, Europe and Israel and none of these have been accounted by him and there is absolutely no transparency about how these were obtained and used.

He may have some frontline projects launched by the JDCSI under his management. But these are still under his illegal control. It is possible he has been using these to collect more funds. Whatever the situation be, his accounting must be clear, clean and consistent. Furthermore, it is a known factor that he has hired expensive lawyers to fight his cases in his bid to discredit the current head of the JDCSI and the church itself.

Working along with him are some fellow priests and laity officials with proven records of public funds misuse and misappropriation. Why are our people so vulnerable to be manipulated by the clever crafty ones? At times such people are even considered heroes.

Will the Rev Jeyanesan have the common courtesy and even more, the obligation to make available a report on how he managed finances that legally belong to the JDCSI and explain why he has not submitted them to the church along with all related instruments?

Secondly, will he declare his assets and that has to include whatever that he distributed among his siblings and family members over a period of fifteen years both in Sri Lanka and overseas? His recent letters give an impression of urgency to raise funds and he uses the current state in Sri Lanka to evidently capitalize on it.

Thirdly on what authority does he claim to be the president of the American Ceylon Mission?

An elder recently chided this writer for taking up such issues stating that it is no harm if a man who works on such projects helps himself to some funds for after all he is also giving away some to the needy. A comment on this pathetic crumbs-off-the-table for the needy contention is not necessary but it is this attitude that encourages corruption in the community.

It appears despite his incredible record as one who never reveals information that at all times must be transparent he is able to carry on with his highly questionable activities and even make such an outlandish claim that he is the president of the American Ceylon Mission.

The president, secretary and the treasurer of the American Ceylon Mission are the head of the JDCSI, its secretary and treasurer respectively and also the Rev Jeyanesan is no more a member of the JDCSI by his own volition. - Sri Lanka Guardian