News - COPE probe on illegal CEB perks

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COPE probe on illegal CEB perks

The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) investigating allegations of corruption and misuse of money in the CEB, last week called on CEB Board members to give evidence.

COPE is to investigate allegations by CEB unions that several senior CEB officials have been receiving exorbitant sums as allowances.

CEB Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, the General Manager and all Additional General Managers were among those alleged to have received these allowances.

It is learnt COPE had ordered that all allowances received illegally be stopped.

There are also reported moves to recover allowances received during the last two years, if found they had been illegally obtained.

COPE has summoned CEB officials to appear before it again on August 8.

Dinesh resigns from COPE

Minister Dinesh Gunewardena who was serving as a member of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) resigned last week from the post stating that a Cabinet minister should not sit on a Committee which investigates state institutions. The minister who has been in the Committee since 1983 as an ordinary member said he felt no Cabinet Minister should serve on such a committee.

“There are various State institutions which are summoned by the Committee. Even the Auditor General has said it is not ethically right for a Cabinet minister to be on the Committee,” he said.

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