Bribery ComMISSION DG transferred 
On Sri Lanka peace process and alleged war crimes


By Niranjala Ariyawansha-June 29, 2014 

Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, Lakshmi Jayawickrema, has been transferred to the Presidential Secretariat with effect from 24 June. No reason had been given for her transfer.

Inside sources said they were surprised at her transfer as she had performed her duties well and was methodical in her investigations, following the necessary legal procedures, despite various obstacles she had to face from her seniors.

When Ceylon Today asked her the reason for the transfer, she said she cannot say anything at present as she herself is unaware of the reason. At the time of transfer, she was handling high profile complaints against some influential persons in the government.

However, it was an open secret in the Commission, that she had disputes with the Commission Chairman, Jagath Balapatabendi. There is a complaint in the Commission against Chairman Balapatabendi as well. In terms of the Commission Act, only the Director General has powers to prosecute suspects in bribery cases. Even an acting Director General does not have the authority to do so.

In these circumstances, the Commission has become virtually non-functional. However, the Commission can investigate bribery or corruption allegations and arrest suspects if necessary even without a Director General.

Bribery commission acquits president’s relative!

 

Friday, 27 June 2014 

Following the Bribery Commission’s withdrawal of a bribery charge against Yasalal Samarasinghe Dissanayake, a valuer at the Maharagama East branch of the Department of Inland Revenue and a very close relative of president Mahinda Rajapaksa from his mother’s side, the Colombo chief magistrate’s court has acquitted him.

Officials of the commission caught Yasalal red handed, in the act of accepting a Rs. 400,000 bribe from one Rasanga Lanka Pathberiya, a resident of Pore, Athurugiriya, at Wijerama Mawatha in Colombo on 30 October last year.

Remanded upon his arrest, he had got himself admitted to the prison hospital, and before less than two weeks elapsed, was enlarged on two sureties of Rs. 500,000 each by Colombo chief magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya.

According to the due procedure, a person caught in the act of obtaining a bribe amounting to such a sum should remain in remand prison for at least three months before being allowed bail. In breach of all the due procedures, it is surprising that the president’s relative from his mother’s side had received bail in less than two weeks on two sureties.

It is more surprising that in six months’ time, he had been cleared of all the charges and got acquitted. This man will return to the Maharagama East branch of the Inland Revenue Department within the next few days. It is possible that the Bribery Commission of Jagath Balapatabendi will take this Rasanga Lanka Pathberiya of Pore, Athurugiriya to court on a charge of making a false complaint, and punish him.