Chichi’s Rocket Controversy: Truth, Mistakes, or Miscommunication?
- CNL Reporter
- August 9, 2025
- News, Political
- Chichi’s Rocket
- 0 Comments
News of the Day
In a spirited parliamentary exchange, Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya affirmed on August 6 that SupremeSAT’s satellite—widely nicknamed “Chichi’s Rocket”—was successfully launched in November 2012, under a Rs 1.828 billion investment via Supreme Global Holdings and without any government funding, citing Board of Investment (BOI) records. She also presented multi-year revenue figures—ranging from Rs 19,617 million in 2015–16 to Rs 39,590 million in the first half of 2023—that portrayed the venture as financially robust
However, Trade Minister Wasantha Samarasinghe immediately challenged the numbers, attributing the discrepancy to formatting errors—specifically, commas mistaken for decimal points. He offered corrected figures suggesting total revenue of just Rs 342 million over the same period and raised alarms about missing satellite evidence, unaccounted assets, and the disappearance of Rs 12 billion previously declared in early financial reports
In response, SupremeSAT issued a formal statement on August 8, welcoming what it called a “long-awaited public acknowledgment” that the satellite was indeed launched and had required no state funds. The company reaffirmed the satellite’s continued presence in orbit at 87.5° East and rejected what it deemed “baseless claims” regarding its corporate accounts. SupremeSAT stressed its compliance with global operational standards and pledged to remain focused on sustaining its credibility in the space sector
.Clarity vs. Oversight: The conflicting revenue figures underscore the need for rigorous verification—opting for millions when billions were stated suggests either an honest typographical error or deeper lapses in data handling.
Accountability and Transparency: Samarasinghe’s insistence on investigating the asset trail and accounting practices signals valid public interest, especially given the satellite’s high-profile political associations.
Corporate Defense: SupremeSAT’s insistence on technical correctness and operational continuity—alongside its orbital confirmation—aims to allay concerns over legitimacy. Yet, absent the disputed revenue clarity, firm conclusions remain elusive.
Ultimately, while SupremeSAT’s fundamental claims of launch success and private funding now appear recognized, the credibility of its financial record and location of the asset remain contested. An independent audit of BOI-sourced data and company accounts could weather the storm of suspicion with much-needed transparency.
