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Message: <blockquote data-quote="waligamaya" data-source="post: 20610918" data-attributes="member: 435142">සිරිසෙනගේ  වැඩ.<a href="https://www.facebook.com/101580643534909/videos/295230064169965/?pnref=story" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/101580643534909/videos/295230064169965/?pnref=story</a>In 2008, SMEC sought to win part of a large dam project in Sri Lanka, funded by the World Bank.ANTHONY WHEALY, QC, CHAIR, TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL: Well, Sri Lanka, I think, has always had a reputation for what might be described as petty corruption but the real risks, the most serious risks, are corruption at a top bureaucratic level where monies are paid by companies, often overseas companies, to secure very valuable contracts.NICK MCKENZIE: Again, there was one person's support needed to make it happen, the Minister for Agriculture, Maithripala Sirisena, who is now Sri Lanka's president.2009, emails between SMEC staff leaked to 7.30 suggest the Sirisena requested a private meeting with the company.SMEC SRI LANKA MANAGER: He's the secretary of the ruling party, a powerful man in the present administration.NICK MCKENZIE: The SMEC manager said that the powerful man wanted a favour.SMEC SRI LANKA MANAGER: The minister wants to know whether SMEC could make a donation for the elections?NICK MCKENZIE: The SMEC email suggested Sirisena and one of his advisors wanted the Australian company to bank roll Sirisena's ruling Freedom Party before signing the cabinet papers for the World Bank funded dam project.SMEC SRI LANKA MANAGER: Sirisena's coordinating secretary said this is the way it goes prior to signing the cabinet papers. He wants us to propose an amount or percentage on the contract value.NICK MCKENZIE: The president did not respond to questions from 7.30 including whether he was aware of or authorised such a request.ANTHONY WHEALY: Well, I mean it's pretty obvious that if an Australian country goes into a foreign jurisdiction and there's a suggestion made that they could make a political donation when they're on the lookout for a very valuable contract, well, anyone would know that's most likely to be corruption at that high level.NICK MCKENZIE: SMEC's email showed that the company's Sri Lankan manager agreed to pay a kickback of $27,000 to secure the dam contract.SMEC says it's internal investigation uncovered a request for a political donation but that no donation was made. Company records showed that $27,000 was withdrawn in cash by SMEC Sri Lankan office and paid to a consultant.The Australian Federal Police is evaluating emails about SMEC and the Sri Lankan president.Separately the AFP has launched a major investigation to allegations that SMEC's overseas staff paid bribes to secure a second Sri Lankan contract as well as a contract in Bangladesh.For the Australian Federal Police, suspected foreign bribery is tough to investigate and even harder to prosecute.But after repeated scandals and an extra $15 million from the Federal Government, the AFP says it's ramping up inquiries and pushing companies to dob themselves in before they get caught.PETER CROZIER: For any company to think that this is just the cost of doing business, then they are going to, in due course, face the full effect of the law because it's not legitimate, it's, there, the companies themselves and their CEOs, they both have a legal responsibility, but they have a moral and ethical responsibility here to show some integrity in their business processes.NICK MCKENZIE: Around 20 Australian companies, including some household names, are the subject of current AFP investigations - one which has been going for seven years.PETER CROZIER: When you recognise that some people may not have access to proper healthcare and they may not have access to proper education and may miss out on the opportunities that you and I take for granted, then I think we should be passionate about these issues.And if there's an Australian entity involved in that occurring, then we should pursue it to the nth degree in relation to the legislation but also we got a moral obligation here.LEIGH SALES: That report by Nick McKenzie.</blockquote>

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