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Aloysius calls: Ajith Perera’s complaint referred to Privileges Committee
View(s):The privilege issue raised by Power and Energy Deputy Minister Ajith Perera following reports that he had telephone conversations with businessmen Arjun Aloysius has been referred to the Privileges Committee of Parliament. The motion to refer the matter to the Privileges Committee was moved by House Leader Lakshman Kiriella on Monday. The motion was based on the privilege issue raised by the Deputy Minister on November 22 in Parliament. Mr. Perera told the Speaker that his privileges had been infringed by media reports regarding the telephone conversations he allegedly had with Mr. Aloysius.
He is among five MPs who are alleged to have had telephone contacts with Mr. Aloysius while being members of the parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE). The COPE was probing the controversial Central Bank bond transactions of Mr. Aloysius’ company, Perpetual Treasuries Ltd. The Deputy Minister has denied he has had any links with the businessman.
The Privileges Committee headed by Foreign Minister Tilak Marapana will decide if the MP’s privileges were infringed upon by the information which became public during evidence led before the Commission of Inquiry (CoI) appointed to look into the Bond Issue. No date has been set to take up this issue yet, a senior Parliamentary official said.
Meanwhile, the ‘Joint Opposition’ Parliamentary group leader Dinesh Gunawardena said they have made several requests from the Speaker to appoint a special committee to probe if the COPE members compromised their positions by communicating with a person under investigating. “The MPs should step down from the Committee and clear their names first. Otherwise, the entire Committee will be tainted. The Speaker can then appoint a special committee or refer the matter to the Privileges Committee to see if there has been any wrongdoing on the part of the MPs concerned,” said.
The other members of the Privileges Committee are Ministers Susil Premajayantha, Ranjith Madduma Bandara, Gayantha Karunatileka, Mano Ganesan, Faiszer Musthapha and MPs Douglas Devananda, Anura Dissanayake, Wimal Weerawansa and E. Saravanapavan.