The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) today (May 16) informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that a recent statement by former President Ranil Wickremesinghe regarding a treasury circular was factually inaccurate.
The Magistrate was also informed that the statement may have interfered with an ongoing bribery investigation involving Badulla District MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake.
Wickremesinghe, speaking at a special media briefing, had stated that a circular issued in 2015 – during his tenure as Prime Minister – allowed provincial councils to withdraw fixed deposit funds prior to maturity.
However, the CIABOC has clarified that the circular in question was actually issued on November 22, 2016, whereas Dassanayake had withdrawn the funds much earlier, on February 29, 2016.
The Commission also disclosed that Mr. Wickremesinghe’s statement was made at the request of Dassanayake’s wife and that the accuracy of the circular’s date had not been verified before the public statement.
Dassanayake, who appeared in court today, is accused of causing a financial loss of over Rs. 17.6 million to the government by prematurely withdrawing fixed deposit funds belonging to the Uva Provincial Council during his time as Chief Minister.
An arrest warrant has been issued against former Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage over the ongoing investigation into the importation of Chinese fertilizer.
The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court issued the warrant on a request by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), after Aluthgamage failed to appear before the Commission as summoned on May 14.
Earlier, on May 14, a motion seeking anticipatory bail on behalf of his counsel was filed with the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, requesting that the matter be taken up on May 16. The Magistrate ordered that the motion be heard on May 19.
