Controversial Auction of Sri Lanka's Presidential Luxury Fleet Sparks Political Tensions

Sri Lanka's government auctioned luxury vehicles from ex-presidents' fleet to cut costs, recovering Rs 200 million. Opposition insists sales prices were below market value, calling it a loss to the state. The government refutes these claims, accusing the opposition of misinformation to discredit the leadership.

In a controversial move, the Sri Lankan government auctioned a collection of luxury vehicles from the fleet of former presidents, sparking intense debate. The auction, which included high-end brands like BMW, Ford, Land Rover, Mitsubishi, and Porsche, concluded its second phase by selling 17 out of 26 vehicles listed.

The National People's Power government, elected last November, initiated this sale of vehicles used by former president Ranil Wickremesinghe's advisors and personal staff as part of a strategy to curb governmental extravagance and save taxpayer money. While the government reports a recovery of Rs 200 million from the auction, the opposition alleges the vehicles sold were undervalued, leading to a significant financial loss for the state.

Opposition legislator Dayasiri Jayasekera criticized the auction process, claiming it was manipulated like a tender underhand, and announced plans to lodge a complaint with the bribery and corruption commission. Despite the opposition's claims, the government maintains that the auction was transparent and well above governmental valuations for most vehicles, accusing rivals of disinformation to undermine the leadership.

(With inputs from agencies.)