Parliament debates Commissions of Inquiry (Amendment) Bill

Parliament is today debating the Commissions of Inquiry (Amendment) Bill. The bill will enable the Commission Investigating Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to consider material collected in the course of an investigation or an inquiry to institute criminal proceedings. 

By Sandun Jayawardana

Parliament is today debating the Commissions of Inquiry (Amendment) Bill. The bill will enable the Commission Investigating Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to consider material collected in the course of an investigation or an inquiry to institute criminal proceedings. 

Under this amendment, the CIABOC Director General will be able to directly institute criminal proceedings against offences committed in terms of the Bribery Act, the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities Law, the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Penal Code.

The bill had been long delayed, drawing criticism from President Maithripala Sirisena. The bill is to be debated today and a vote is expected later this evening. 

A heated argument broke out between United People's Freedom Alliance (UPFA) MP Vasudewa Nanayakkara and United National Party (UNP) MPs during the debate when Mr Nanayakkara brought up findings of the Batalanda Commission of Inquiry and the Treasury Bond Commssion, claiming that both commissions had found Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe guilty of wrongdoing.