Corruption charges: JVP slams CIABOC, demands action

Yoshitha to move court against AKD

By Shamindra Ferdinando

In terms of the Bribery Act, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) could not initiate inquiries unless it receives a complaint.

Apsara Caldera, Secretary to the CIABOC said so when The Island sought their response to a spate of corruption allegations made by JVP leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake, various other politicians and officials at a media conference at the Sri Lanka Foundation on Tuesday (03).

Lawmaker Dissanayake declared his party was in possession of over 500 such files.

Asked whether the CIABOC maintained at public expense could avoid such serious accusations, especially at a time of growing public protests about corruption, Caldera said that the law prevented them initiating investigations.

The CIABOC comprises retired Supreme Court Justice Eva Wanasundera, Chairperson, retired Appeals Court Justice Deepali Wijesundera and retired DIG Chandra Nimal Wakista.

Jathika Jana Balavegaya MP Vijitha Herath, said that complaints in respect of some cases highlighted at Tuesday’s media briefing had been lodged with the CIABOC over a period. He said he himself had complained to the CIABOC about the Greek bond case, way back in January 2015. “The CIABOC did not even bother to question me to verify the accusations made, Herath said.

The bottom line was that Sri Lanka lacked a mechanism capable of investigating corruption cases, the MP said, pointing out how the CIABOC and the Attorney General withdrew over 50 high profile cases, filed since the last presidential election in Nov 2019.

The CIABOC, the AG and law enforcement authorities should at least know whether the cases, that had been raised by the JVP, were currently under investigation, MP Herath said. The lawmaker questioned the rationale in maintaining such outfits at a tremendous cost to the taxpayer.

The President himself directed the relevant authorities to inquire into accusations involving Kapila Chandrasena, former CEO of SriLankan Airlines, and his wife Priyanka Niyomali Wijenayake in a $2 million graft scandal. The UK Serious Fraud Office alleged that the French aircraft producer Airbus paid the bribe, MP Herath said.

Wijenayake allegedly received $2 million in 2013 to ensure that the national carrier bought airplanes from Airbus. That order was cancelled when a new government led by the UNP, took office in 2015.

Herath asked despite President Rajapaksa’s assurance that the government would conduct “a comprehensive investigation into reports of allegations over financial irregularities after Airbus agreed to settle a corruption probe with regulators,” the incumbent administration did not proceed with the case. “We would like to know the current status of the investigation,” lawmaker Herath said.

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa’s Office yesterday said that Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Yoshitha Rajapaksa would initiate legal action against JVP leader Dissanayake for making unsubstantiated corruption allegations pertaining to various properties owned by him. Condemning the JVPer’s accusations, the PM’s Office alleged that the statement was meant to deceive the people.

Samagi Jana Balavegaya (SJB) and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa and SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, too, have denied accusations directed at them.

MP Herath emphasised that Sri Lanka could not move forward unless tangible measures were taken to ensure a disciplined public and private sectors. Therefore, corruption accusations directed at politicians, including Presidents, serving and retired officials (both civil and military) should be thoroughly investigated, Herath said, underscoring the importance of having COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises), COPA (Committee of Public Accounts) and COPF (Committee of Public Finance) reports examined by the AG and the CIABOC.

The CIABOC’s response to our revelations proved that the law itself hindered investigations and intervened on behalf of those who should be behind bars, lawmaker Herath said.

Sri Lanka’s failure to take punitive measures against corruption should be examined against the backdrop of the US judicial decisions in respect of a US national who received USD 6.5 mn on a fraudulent image building exercise and former Sri Lanka’s Ambassador in Washington Jaliya Wickremasuriya found guilty of robbing over USD 300,000 from the government of Sri Lanka. Both frauds were perpetrated during Mahinda Rajapaksa’s second term, the MP said.