News
Three members of presidential commission quit
Three members of a five-member Presidential Commission appointed to probe corruption, fraud, and misuse or abuse of power in the past five years, have decided to withdraw.
Justice Priyasath Dep who was appointed as chairman and Justice Anil Goonaratne had conveyed their decision to withdraw from the commission as they are Judges of the Supreme Court and hence their presence in the commission could raise concerns.
In their place, two judges of the High Court — Preethi Padman Surasena and D.A. Mendis Seneviratne — have been appointed by President Maithripala Sirisena.
Mr. Surasena will serve as the chairman of the commission.
The vacancy created by the resignation of the third member — retired Auditor General A.C. Mayadunne — has been filled with the appointment of retired Auditor General P.A. Pematilaka.
The other members of the Commission are, High court Judge Gihan Kulatunga and Retired Additional Solicitor General Aiyathurai Gnanathasan.
The Commission appointed in February placed advertisements calling for public representations to the Commission which will probe allegations of “corruption, fraud, criminal breach of trust, criminal misappropriation of property, cheating, and abuse or misuse of power or authority, state resources and privileges” which have “resulted in serious loss or damage to state assets and revenue” and will cover the period between January 2010 and January 2015.
The Sunday Times learns that the commission has already received some 400 petitions.
The commission has been empowered to call for and receive
public complaints, information and other material relating to serious allegations against persons who have held or continue to hold political office and those who have been or continue to be public servants and officers of statutory bodies. The commission has been called on to conduct prompt, impartial, comprehensive investigations and inquiries into complaints, information and allegations referred to it.
The commission is also empowered to identify persons responsible for such offences and to collect evidence and forward to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption or to the Police or other relevant authorities to enable them to conduct necessary investigations with the view to instituting criminal proceedings against such persons.
The commission will also be able to transmit to the Attorney General investigational and inquiry material, enabling the AG to consider the institution of criminal proceedings against persons alleged to have committed any of the offences and prosecute the accused.
President Sirisena has said the setting up of the commission has been necessitated by the fact that “no independent, impartial and comprehensive criminal and other investigations and inquiries have been conducted with regard to such complaints, allegations and information with the view to ascertaining the veracity of such complaints, allegations and information”.
It is in the interest of public security and welfare, to conduct such investigations so that “there will be no recurrence of such alleged acts amounting to offences and abuse or misuse of power of authority,” he said.