The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Chairman – Prof. Ranjith Bandara has denied that he was engaged in conflict of interest by associating himself with Sri Lanka cricket (SLC) as a consultant for a project to construct a cricket campus in Kandy.

The drama unfolded after a document was circulated over social media which said Professor Bandara had been a consultant of the Kandy Cricket campus project which had been carried out by SLC in 2018.

Professor Bandara had sat for meetings with SLC CEO Ashley de Silva Professor Asoka Tilakawardane who has been the project manager, Sunil Ariyaratne, Janaka Kuruppu coordinator to Project Manager.

Speaking to ‘Daily Mirror’, Professor Bandara has said that he did get involved in the project back in 2018 but kept away from the project once he became an MP. “ I developed the concept of Kandy Cricket Campus but I did not accept any payment for it. I worked on a voluntary basis. This cannot have a connection to the current post which I currently hold in Parliament ,” he has  said.

Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa had called Parliament to replace COPE Chairman from the position due to conflict of interests with the Sri Lanka Cricket.

Explaining Prof. Bandara’s involvement in the aforementioned cricket campus in Kandy, the Opposition leader had added that Prof. Bandara’s son Kanishka Bandara had also been seated at the COPE sessions on SLC this week.

Mr Premadasa had requested the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena to explain matters.

Making inquiries from the Parliament Secretary General, the Speaker had stated that Prof Bandara’s son had attended the meeting on the grounds that he was the Media Secretary of Prof Bandara.

However, MP Hesha Withanage pointed out there was no provision to call for a Media Secretary.

Prof Bandara was not present in Parliament at that time and the Speaker assured that he would look into the matter and give a ruling.