A senior career diplomat at the External Affairs Ministry said Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to the UK, Dr. Chris Nonis should learn Sinhala before asking career diplomats, who have successfully served the country for over tow or three decades, to learn English.

The diplomat made this observation in response to a story published by us saying that Nonis had proposed that career diplomats be given English tuition.

The official said that Nonis has mixed diplomatic work with carrying tales and is of the habit of carrying tales about various officials to the President when he visits Sri Lanka. Although he is fluent in Sinhala, he gives the impression that he does not know the language.

“I met Prince Charles recently,” “The Queen has invited me for a tea party,” “The Queen now drinks Ceylon Tea” and “I’m the best diplomat to serve in the UK” are some of the lies he has told the President. The official noted that Nonis had not taken any useful and progressive actions in relation to the country in the past one year period.

The official also highlighted a very important point. Nonis had taken the post of High Commissioner to the UK after giving Rs. 40 million to President Mahinda Rajapaksa at the last Presidential election campaign.

However, the President is unaware that Nonis had also given a sum of Rs. 30 million to the Common Opposition candidate Sarath Fonseka who contested against the President at the last election.

According to the official, Nonis would be recalled by the President if the fact that he had given monies to the Common Opposition candidate was known.