BOI director claims wrongful interdiction

A Director of the Board of Investment (BOI) who was interdicted has filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court alleging the inquiry against her resulting in her interdiction was illegal.

The petitioner Ms.Chula Perera cited Saliya Wickramasuriya, N.M.G Lalkumara, W.A.Somadasa, BOI of Sri Lanka, Mrs S.M.Fernando, Director (Personal) BOI, W Piyasena, Executive Director (Legal) BOI, H.K. Seneviratne, Deputy Director General (Administration) BOI, M.P.Wikramasinghe and the Attorney General as respondents.

Ms. Perera alleged the inquiry was illegal, the charges misconceived and unsupported by evidence and the law and even the inquirer not authorised to hear evidence and hold the inquiry.

She claims the charges against her were not serious enough to interdict her. She also stated that the charge sheet did not clearly indicate under which chapter, section or sections of the Establishment Code the charges were issued.

Her counsel Vijitha De Alwis in his submissions to Court said the inquiry had gone on for over a period of one year which is over the statutory limit.

The petitioner said that even though a request had been made by the Presidential Secretariat to reinstate her, no action had been taken regarding the matter.

The Bench comprising Chief Justice Sarath N Silva, Justices N. Jayasinghe and N.E Dissanayake postponed hearing for January 22, 2007.