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Probe on CEB General Manager halted

By Shelani Perera

Orders have reportedly been sent by the Power and Energy Ministry Secretary to stop an inquiry against the CEB General Manager for allegedly receiving allowances.

The Ministry Secretary has reportedly written to the CEB Board that the inquiry carried out by the one-man committee into complaints made against the CEB General Manager should be stopped with immediate effect.

Earlier, it was the Ministry Secretary who requested the Board to carry out an inquiry following allegations by CEB unions that the General Manager was receiving exorbitant allowances. The one-man inquiry was carried out by a former Labour Commissioner S Wimalasena.

Although orders were reportedly sent to halt the inquiry CEB officials said the inquiry had been completed and only the General Manager’s statement had to be recorded.

According to a CEB official the General Manager was receiving allowances close to Rs. 40,000 a month. It is also learnt that the General Manager is due to retire in two months time. The Sunday Times learns that the CEB Board, perturbed over the letter sent by the Ministry Secretary, is scheduled to meet over the weekend.

Meanwhile the Committee on Public Enterprises investigating allegations of corruption and misuse of money in the CEB continued last week to record statements from CEB officials.

The committee is investigating allegations by CEB unions that several senior CEB managers were receiving exhorbitant allowances. Following the previous meeting, the CEB Board had stopped the allowances received by the Additional General Manager (Transmission). Although it was said that the allowances would be stopped from July, it was reported that the July salary included the allowance.

When the matter was brought before COPE, the Board was questioned by COPE members as to why the CEB General Manager’s allowances were not stopped to which the reply was that as an inquiry was underway the Board thought it was not right to take action.

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