HAkEEM BEFOR PRECIFAC SOON

BY NIRANJALA ARIYAWANSHA-2016-02-29

Minister of Urban Development, Water Supply and Drainage, Rauff Hakeem would be summoned before the Commission for questioning by the......Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption (PRECIFAC).

Lacille de Silva, Secretary to the PRECIFAC told Ceylon Today that the minister will be summoned for questioning in connection with an allegation of allocating of over Rs 150 million for fully refurbishing offices to be occupied by the International Arbitration Centre in the World Trade Centre in Colombo, Fort, without Cabinet approval.

Earlier reports have claimed Minister Hakeem had allegedly used up Rs 157 million in Treasury funds when he was the Minister of Justice in a former administration, to maintain the International Arbitration Centre. Minister Hakeem is also alleged to have paid out a further Rs 88.9 million without Cabinet approval to fully refurbish this office, de Silva said, adding that quotations for refurbishing materials are extremely high.

Police investigations have revealed that the materials supposedly purchased at a private shop had been officially shown to have been bought at the State-owned Laksala, he revealed.

Another PRECIFAC official said there was doubt as to whether the operations at the International Centre for Arbitration were in sync with its established arbitration mandate. He pointed out that this massive scale fraud was exposed when a complaint received by PRECIPAC was probed.