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Public Trustee’s accounts need frequent audits:Report
A Commission appointed to investigate affairs of the Public Trustee’s Department has recommended frequent audits of its account.
The recommendation has been made in an interim report submitted through the Buddha Sasana Ministry Secretary D.W. Abeywickrema.

The Commission has so far found several irregular transactions where funds have been spent contrary to the requests made by the owners of the funds. The Commission was appointed on a proposal made by the Buddha Sasana, Public Security, Law and Order Agriculture Minister and Deputy Defence Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake following complaints of corruption and malpractices reported against the Department.

The Commission found that after year 2000 no proper audits have been carried out into the accounts of the department. The Commission also has recommended the creation of the new designation of Deputy Public Trustee should be created.

Among the other recommendations were that the staff should be provided adequate training above the activities at the department. The Commission reported that there have no proper training facilities for the staff. Currently most of the officers appointed had legal background.

Commission head Supreme Court Judge A.M. S. Samaraweera said the Commission will submit its final report in three months time. Mr. Samaraweera said the Public Trustee’s Department is the only institution of its nature where people entrust their life interests, before their death, to the Department with the implicit faith their wishes would be carried out.

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