News
Probes and probity
Saturday 9th October, 2021
The Opposition may have expected the government to defend Thirukumar Nadesan and his wife Nirupama Rajapaksa openly over the Pandora Papers revelations and get into a bigger political mess in the process. But the latter chose to act intelligently, for once. It ordered a probe—not out of any genuine desire to ascertain the truth and institute legal action against anyone but in what appears to be a bid to deflect criticism.
An otherwise lethargic Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has swung into action. Asked by this newspaper what action it would take in respect of the Pandora Papers allegations against Nirupama and her husband, the CIABOC said it could act only if a complaint was lodged. In fact, it is not in a position to initiate an inquiry or an investigation of its own volition thanks to the draconian 20th Amendment, which stripped it of some vital powers. No one had made a complaint by that time. Curiously, a presidential order galvanised the CIABOC into action. It summoned Nadesan and recorded a statement yesterday.
Interestingly, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a member of the ruling family, which its political rivals are all out to implicate in the questionable offshore financial transactions of Nadesan. He has also asked the CIABOC to submit a report to him within one month!
It would have been much better if the CIABOC had been able to probe the Pandora Papers disclosure on its own. All Executive Presidents have not cared to rise above partisan politics and act impartially, and therefore presidential directives are not devoid of politics.
Not all shell company owners are engaged in criminal activities; but most of them are responsible for tax evasion, which needs to be investigated separately. Most of those involved in offshore financial transactions have caused huge losses to their home countries by parking their money overseas illegally. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which carried out the Pandora Papers investigation, has said the losses at issue range from USD 5.6 trillion to USD 32 trillion. The International Monetary Fund is of the view that the losses that tax havens cause to many countries around the world could be as high as USD 600 billion a year. The existence of the offshore world aggravates global poverty and inequalities because it deprives the developing nations of some of their tax revenue, as we pointed out in a previous comment. Therefore, besides the ongoing CIABOC probe, there must be a multi-agency investigation into the ICIJ revelations about Sri Lankans, like the one India has ordered.
Offshore transactions are extremely complex processes, and if the CIABOC is capable of conducting a thorough probe into the allegations against Nadesan and submit a report thereon to the President within one month, there is no reason why it should take years to finish other probes that do not involve such complex operations.
If the CIABOC is to carry out its duties and functions free from political influence, it should be made independent of the Executive President as well. It may be recalled that all political parties, represented in Parliament, sank their differences and deprived the national anti-graft commission of the power to inquire into allegations of bribery or corruption sua sponte, in 1994. This power was restored by the 19th Amendment to the Constitution (2015), which made it ‘lawful for the Commission … to inquire into, or investigate an allegation of bribery or corruption, whether on its own motion or on a written complaint made to it.’ There were flaws in the 19th Amendment that had to be rectified, but the salutary provisions like the aforesaid one should have been retained. The 20th Amendment, which was crafted to strengthen the executive presidency, stripped the CIABOC of that power again. Otherwise, there would have been no need for the President to order the CIABOC to initiate an investigation into the ICIJ findings anent Sri Lanka, and, above all, the probe would have been more acceptable to the public.
The U.S. Embassy in Colombo welcomed the U.S. Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, former National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) players Stephen Howard and Astou Ndiaye, from June 8 through 14.
The Public Diplomacy section of the U.S. Embassy said that it would launch a weeklong basketball program intended to harness the unifying power of sports, made possible through collaboration with Foundation of Goodness and IImpact Hoop Lab.
While in Sri Lanka, Howard and Ndiaye, both retired professional basketball players, will conduct a weeklong program, Hoops for Hope: Bridging Borders through Basketball. The Sports Envoys will lead basketball clinics and exhibition matches and engage in leadership sessions in Colombo and Southern Province for youth aged 14-18 from Northern, Uva, Eastern and Western Provinces, offering skills and leadership training both on and off the court. The U.S. Envoys will also share their expertise with the Sri Lanka Basketball Federation, national coaches, and players, furthering the development of basketball in the country. Beyond the clinics, they will collaborate with Sri Lankan schoolchildren to take part in a community service project in the Colombo area.
“We are so proud to welcome Stephen and Astou as our Sports Envoys to Sri Lanka, to build on the strong people-to-people connections between the United States and Sri Lanka,” said U.S. Ambassador Julie Chung. “The lessons that will be shared by our Sports Envoys – communication, teamwork, resilience, inclusion, and conflict resolution – are essential for leadership development, community building, equality, and peace. The U.S. Sports Envoy program is a testament to our belief that sports can be a powerful tool in promoting peace and unity.”
SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahuman in parliament demanded to know from the government the reasons for CEB suspending the leave of all its employees until further notice from Thursday.
MP Rahuman said that the CEB has got an acting General Manager anew and the latter yesterday morning issued a circular suspending leave of all CEB employees with immediate effect until further notice.
“We demand that Minister Kanchana Wijesekera should explain this to the House. This circular was issued while this debate on the new Electricity Amendment Bill was pending. There are many who oppose this Bill. The Minister must tell parliament the reason for the urge to cancel the leave of CEB employees,” the MP said.However, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena prevented Minister Wijesekera responding to the query and said that the matter raised by MP Rahuman was not relevant.
The Chartered Institute of Personnel Management (CIPM) successfully concluded the 8th Annual CIPM Symposium, which took place on 31st May 2024. Themed “Nurturing the Human Element—Redefining HRM in a Rapidly Changing World,” the symposium underscored the pivotal role of human resource management (HRM) in today’s dynamic global landscape. Since its inception in 1959, CIPM has been dedicated to advancing the HR profession through education, professional development, and advocacy, solidifying its position as Sri Lanka’s leading professional body for HRM.
Ken Vijayakumar, the President of the CIPM, graced the occasion as the chief guest. The symposium commenced with the welcome address by the Chairperson, Prof. Arosha Adikaram, followed by the Web Launch of the Symposium Proceedings and Abstract Book by the CIPM President. The event featured distinguished addresses, including a speech by Chief Guest Ken Vijayakumar, President of CIPM, and an address by Guest of Honor Shakthi Ranatunga, Chief Operating Officer of MAS Holdings Pvt. Ltd., Sri Lanka.
The symposium also featured an inspiring keynote address by Prof. Mario Fernando, Professor of Management and Director of the Centre for Cross Cultural Management (CCCM) at the University of Wollongong, Australia.
Vote of Thanks of the inauguration session was delivered by Dr. Dillanjani Weeratunga, Symposium Co-chair.
The symposium served as a comprehensive platform for researchers to present their findings across a wide range of critical topics in HRM. These included Cultural Diversity and Inclusion, Talent Development and Retention, Ethical Leadership and Corporate Social Responsibility, Adapting to Technological Advancements, Mental Health and Well-being at Work, Global Workforce Challenges, Employee Empowerment, and Reskilling and Upskilling.
The plenary session was led by Prof. Wasantha Rajapakse. Certificates were awarded to the best paper presenters during the valedictory session, followed by a vote of thanks delivered by Kamani Perera, Manager of Research and Development.
The annual symposium of CIPM was a truly inclusive event, attracting a diverse audience that spanned undergraduates, graduates, working professionals, research scholars and lecturers. This widespread interest highlights the symposium’s significance in the field of HRM, offering a unique opportunity for everyone to network and learn from scholarly brains.The CIPM International Research Symposium was sponsored by Hambantota International Port, Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), E B Creasy & Co. PLC, and Print Xcel Company.
US sports envoys to Lanka to champion youth development
Rahuman questions sudden cancellation of leave of CEB employees
