Police complaint lodged against State Minister Pushpakumara

A  complaint has been lodged by the Ministry of the Public Administration at the Cinnamon Gardens Police  against State Minister Jagath Pushpakumara over the alleged unlawful removal of the keys of an official residence from the Ministry, Police said.

Timesonline learns that State Minister of Foreign Employment Promotion Pushpakumara had taken the key from an Additional Secretary of the Ministry though he was not entitled to take the keys for the official residence from the particular officer. 

The key had been returned to the Ministry by the Deputy Speaker Ajith Rajapaksa earlier to the Ministry and had been received by an Additional Secretary.

The Secretary of the Ministry M.M.P.K Mayadunne hearing of the incident had sent one of his officials to the Cinnamon Gardens Police to lodged a complaint.

However,  State Minister Pushpakumara told Timesonline that the particular residence had initially been used by former State Minister Dayasiri Jayasekra who had handed the keys directly to Mr  Ajith Rajapakse who in turn had returned to the Ministry.

"I had infomred the President of the requirment of an official residence and had letter from the President's Secretary to take over the official residence. Since I heard that Mr Rajapakshe was returning the key I called over to collect the key, but the Secretary did not release they key to me. That is the reason the key was taken from the Additional Secretary," he said.

He said he had his possession the letter that he could take over the official residence.  "I am not sure as to why the keys were not given to me by the Secretary. May be he wanted to hand over it to someone else".

However no action had been taken until Monday morning by the Police to carryout any investigation.

Ministry sources said that there is a process to allocate official residences and that Mr Pushpakumara had not followed the proper process.

Meanwhile the Additional Secretary who released the key has obtained a transfer and moved into another division.