News
Bond Commission report online after Parliament receives it on Wednesday
The Report of the Bond Commission, as well as the reports of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate and inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC), will be available online once they are sent to Parliament on Wednesday (17).
The Presidential Secretariat has informed the Secretaries to the two Commissions to make available soft copies of the Reports handed over to President Maithripala Sirisena last week. The non-availability of sufficient copies of the Bond Commission report caused a rumpus in Parliament last Wednesday, which ended in fisticuffs between members of the UNP and the Joint Opposition (JO).
An official of the President’s Office said only three copies of the Bond Commission Report were made available to the President’s office, of which, one was sent to the Department of Archives as required by law, another to the Attorney General’s Dept for its perusal, while one was retained in the President’s Office.
Later, two other copies of the Reports were obtained and sent to the Governor of the Central Bank and the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). The official said the communication from Speaker Karu Jayasuriya to provide 26 copies of the Bond Commission Report which numbers over 1,400 pages, had come on Tuesday evening, and there was insufficient time to get extra copies ready by 10.30 am the following day when Parliament was scheduled to meet.
The President’s Office has since assured the Reports would be sent to Parliament by Wednesday (17).
Parliament will meet on January 23.