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Recovery of stolen money: Parliament needs to give legal effect to UN Convention against Corruption -lawyer
BY SHAMINDRA FERDINANDO
Senior lawyer S. A. Cader sayas that it was the responsibility of Parliament to enact legislation to enable the country to seek UN support for the recovery of stolen public assets.Cader, senior partner at Julius & Creasy emphasised the urgent need to address the issue at hand as part of the overall efforts meant to stabilise the economy.The lawyer said so responding to SLPP National List MP Prof. G. L. Peiris’ recent declaration that cash-strapped Sri Lanka should seek the intervention of the UN’s Stolen Asset Recovery Initiative (StAR) run by the World Bank Group and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).
Appreciating the former Foreign Minister’s call, Cader told The Island: “As far as we are aware, mere fact Sri Lanka being a signatory to a UN convention will not make the convention a part and parcel of the Sri Lankan Law, unless a local legislation is enacted by the Parliament to give legal effect to the said convention per se. In this case, pursuant to Parliament passing legislation, the country can look forward to the UN and the World Bank to assist it.”
The joint initiative encourages countries to implement Chapter V of the United Nations Convention against Corruption (UNCAC).Sri Lanka signed the Convention on March 15, 2004 and ratified on March 31, 2004. Attorney-at-law Cader said now that a member of parliament had publicly suggested that Sri Lanka should seek UN assistance to recover stolen assets, political parties represented in parliament should go the whole hog.
Referring to the Supreme Court judgment given on Sept. 15, 2006 pertaining to the high profile Singarasa case, lawyer Cader stressed consequently that the parliament had to provide legal effect to UN Conventions. Nallaratnam Singarasa, who had been arrested for allegedly conspiring between May 1, 1990 and Dec 31, 1991 with the LTTE to attack army camps in the North. Singarasa was arrested on charges under the Prevention on Terrorism Act (PTA).
Addressing the media early this week at SLPP rebels’ Nawala Office, Prof. Peiris said that Sri Lanka experiencing the worst ever post-independence economic crisis could utilize the StAR to nab those who had stashed away stolen funds, both here and overseas.Prof. Peiris, who served as Foreign Minister twice (2010-2015 and August 2021-April 2022), said that the assistance of the international community and local organizations, specializing in anti-corruption activities, was required as successive governments failed to take tangible measures in that regard.
The recovery of stolen assets should be a priority for the government as it was struggling to cope up with further deterioration of the economic situation, the MP said.The Island sought clarification from former top law academic Prof. Peiris, yesterday (10) as regards the responsibility of parliament to enact law here to provide legal effect to UNCAC, the academic said: “I do not think a parliamentary initiative is essential. The critical factor is political will. The entire process can be triggered by the government taking up the matter with the UN system. Prevailing public mood is very conducive to this.
Former Chairman of Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Prof. Charitha Herath while appreciating the push for recovery of stolen money stressed the need to expose those responsible for waste, corruption, irregularities and mismanagement over the years. The SLPP National List MP pointed out that the economy was in such a precarious state, those now exercising political power should keep in mind the pending USD 2.9 bn IMF loan facility alone couldn’t save Sri Lankan economy.
Lawmaker Herath urged political parties represented in parliament to reach consensus on how to use the Auditor General’s findings and recommendations pertaining to public sector enterprises as well as disclosures made by parliamentary watchdog committees. The academic alleged that the Parliament a few months ago blocked efforts made by the COPE during his tenure as its Chairman to secure approval for the outfit to submit reports directly to the AG.
Herath stressed that the appraisal of the Attorney General’s Department as well as that of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Corruption (CIABOC) as regards corruption cases was of pivotal importance as both institutions had been criticized. The MP noted that the Opposition requested information pertaining to the cases withdrawn by the AG and CIABOC as well as the outcome of judicial proceedings into high profile cases. Prof. Herath said whatever the initiatives undertaken with external support, the parliament should take tangible measures to ensure the environment required for genuine anti-corruption drive.
Responding to another query, Prof. Herath said there couldn’t be any dispute that anti-corruption efforts had failed so far though some shocking disclosures were made over the years. Actually required action hadn’t been taken on the basis of revelations made before parliamentary watchdog committees.
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
