COPE carries on despite hiccups

COPE (Committee on Public Enterprises) proceedings on Friday continued under the chairmanship of Wijedasa Rajapakse. Mr. Rajapakse told The Sunday Times that sittings on Friday proceeded smoothly, but declined to comment about reports that he had walked out following certain comments made by National List MP Basil Rajapaksa on Thursday.

Mr. Rajapaksa denied allegations that he took the side of officials at the meeting prompting a walkout by the Committee chairman. Mr. Rajapaksa explained that what he had said was only that the officials had the right to give their answers or their version to the queries raised by the Auditor General.

He denied he had said the officials could withhold information. The issue came up when the Mahaweli Authority accounts were under scrutiny at the COPE proceedings during which the chairman had raised queries on the Mahaweli Authority report. After the COPE chairman left the proceedings Minister Dilan Perera had presided over the proceedings.