A parliamentary debate over the SupremeSAT-1 satellite has exploded into controversy after Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya allegedly presented inflated revenue figures by missing a decimal point, prompting fierce criticism from ministers, the company, and the opposition.
SupremeSAT Private Limited Chairman R.M. Manivannan has issued a statement addressing the conflicting claims made by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya and Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe over the status and earnings of the SupremeSAT-1 satellite, which has returned to the spotlight more than a decade after its launch.
Members of the National People’s Power Party have long alleged that the satellite, launched in 2012, had “disappeared,” a claim reiterated by Minister Samarasinghe in Parliament. SupremeSAT, however, clarified that SupremeSAT-1 remains operational in the 87.5° East orbit and has been in its designated position since launch.
In a strongly worded statement, Manivannan accused political figures of misleading the public for narrow gains and distorting corporate data without proper knowledge or representation. He condemned the use of false narratives despite years of verifiable reports confirming the satellite’s location and performance.
Prime Minister Amarasuriya told Parliament on August 6 that the Sri Lankan government did not spend public funds on the satellite project, managed under the supervision of Rohitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and claimed the project had generated Rs. 343,909 million between 2015 and mid-2023.
However, Minister Samarasinghe argued the figures were wrong, pointing out that the correct annual revenues ranging from Rs. 19.1 million to Rs. 87 million were significantly lower. He alleged that the Prime Minister had omitted a decimal point, inflating the totals by massive margins.
Kanchana Kodithuwakku, CEO of Supreme Media Network, backed Samarasinghe’s claim, noting that the correct data was already provided to the government and any misrepresentation was not the company’s fault.
The dispute escalated when MP D.V. Chanaka mocked the government’s handling of the matter, asking whether the Prime Minister was “writing like a parrot” and accusing the administration of incompetence. He stressed that replies to Parliament should always be vetted through the Prime Minister’s Secretary before presentation.
With both political opponents and corporate representatives disputing the Prime Minister’s figures, the decimal point blunder has become yet another flashpoint in Parliament’s ongoing confrontations.
