The Bribery or Corruption Allegations Investigation Commission has begun an investigation into the complaint of corruption and fraud allegations filed against the current Speaker of Parliament, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne.
When we inquired from a senior official of the commission in this regard, he said that orders have been issued to initiate investigations into the allegations filed against the Speaker.
The suspended Deputy Secretary General and Chief of Staff of Parliament, Attorney-at-Law Chaminda Kularatne, filed a complaint against the Speaker with the Bribery Commission yesterday.
According to parliamentary sources, this is the first time in the history of this country that a Deputy Secretary General of Parliament has filed a complaint of corruption and fraud allegations against a Speaker in this way.
Eight allegations of corruption, fraud and fraud have been filed against Speaker Chaminda Kularatne in this complaint.
- Illegally receiving two fuel allowances
- Misuse of vehicles
- Misuse of equipment owned by the media wing of Parliament, obtaining additional lunch facilities under the Parliament account without paying the due amount
- Illegally appointing an investigation officer and paying him from the Parliament account and providing him with food and transport facilities,
- Illegally using two government-owned official residences,
- Attempting to cover up his corruption and fraud by illegally refusing to provide information requested under the Right to Information Act,
- Unlawfully interfering in the administration of the Parliament staff, are the allegations he has made in the complaint.
A group of opposition MPs including Samagi Jana Balawegaya’s Kurunegala District MP, Lawyer Dayasiri Jayasekara, expressed their views in Parliament yesterday and the day before yesterday regarding the corruption allegations made against the Speaker.
(lankalokaya, based on an article written by Asela Perera)
