COPE to probe Lotus Tower

The Parliament Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has decided to conduct a full-scale investigation into the construction of the Lotus Tower and its expenses.

By Sandun Jayawardana

Parliament Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has decided to conduct a full-scale investigation into the construction of Lotus Tower and its expenses.

COPE Chairman Sunil Handunnetti said that he would summon all institutions involved in the Lotus Tower project. Accordingly, officials of these institutions will have to give evidence before COPE related to various allegations related to the project.

COPE’s decision to conduct a probe comes after President Maithripala Sirisena claimed at the opening ceremony of the Lotus Tower on Monday that the Government lost Rs. 2 billion from the project.

The President said the loss came after Rs. 2 billion was paid by the Government as an advance payment to a Chinese firm called ALIT in 2012. However. investigations conducted in 2016 revealed that no company by that name existed, he further claimed.