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Crossover bribes: TISL complains to CIABOC
View(s):Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) has filed a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), saying that money and other inducements were offered to parliamentarians to cross over. TISL Executive Director Asoka Obeysekere said they handed over a CD containing voice recordings that corroborated the claims that as much as Rs 500 million was offered for MPs to cross over.
However, he said the commission did not give an assurance that the complaint would be investigated as a matter of urgency.When asked, CIABOC Director General Sarath Jayamanne said he could not comment on the alleged financial bribes offered to MPs. At a media conference last week, United National Party Minister Palitha Range Bandara played several voice clips recorded when a minister and others called and tried to persuade him to cross over with ministerial perks and financial inducements. Mr. Bandara identified the callers as Minister S.B. Dissanayake, one of his associates, and coordinating secretaries of Minister S.B. Nawinna and an associate of Yoshitha Rajapaksa.
He told the Sunday Times that UNPer Ranjan Ramanayake had lodged a complaint with CIABOC in this regard. However, Mr. Bandara said he had no knowledge of whether the commission had initiated a probe.Mr Dissanayake told the Sunday Times it was he who made the phone call and admitted he urged Mr. Range Bandara to join the government and obtain a cabinet portfolio.
“I spoke to everyone except Ranil (Wickremesinghe),” he said. However, he denied he or anyone in his party made a financial offer to woo Mr Range Bandara to join the new government. Meanwhile, Yoshitha Rajapaksa took to his official twitter handle to refute the phone call conversations. “I vehemently deny the allegations made by Parliamentarian Range Bandara at a press conference today insinuating that a ‘coordinator’ of mine has offered financial bribes to lure MP’s to the Govt.” the tweet read.
Speaking to the Sunday Times Mr. Rajapakse said,“I don’t have a secretary and I never had one”. “This is not the first time these politicians have attacked me. Anyway I don’t want to waste time running behind these politicians to respond to their allegations” he added.