Why Another Presidential Commission When Previous Report Gather Dust?

By Prema Dumbukpitiya –NOVEMBER 27, 2018

Aiyo Sirisena whom are you trying to fool. We learnt through the media that you plan to appoint another Presidential Commssion to inquire into corruption of the yahalapalana partners. We already have with us the Bond scam report and are well aware of their performance.

Appointment of such Commissions of Inquiry which is at great cost is salutary if the recommendations are implemented. That’s exactly what you promised to do but did not. Have you implemented the PRECIFAC REPORT?

One Ariya de Silva writing to Colombo Telegraph recently mentioned about a PRESIDENTIAL COMMISSION report initiated by you that gathered dust for years and how you threw the recommendations to the dust bin and appointed your arch enemy whom you flayed as Prime Minister for reasons best known to you. Not being assess we could also see through what acquired greater importance yes your greed to run again.

Iam quoting what he said for the convenience of readers.

“You appointed a Presidential Commission of inquiry with members of the Judiciary as Commissioners to probe the large scale waste and corruption of the previous regime in respect of many state institutions where BILLIONS were used by MR in his bid to win the Presidency having changed the CONSTITUTION which spelt out ONLY TWO TERMS.

Please see the recommendation of the Commission referred to in respect of the ITN where 225 Million was used by him.

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on large scale acts of corruption (PRECIFAC), has concluded that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and three others were responsible for financial irregularities to the tune of Rs. 225m by the telecasting of Mahinda Rajapaksa’s election propaganda by the ITN channel during the General Election 2015.The Commission has concluded that former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, former ITN Chairman Anura Siriwardene, former Deputy General Manager, Marketing, Jayasinghe Arachchige Upali Ranjith and former Asst. Manager, Marketing, Duleep Priyantha Wickremesinghe, have committed the offence of ‘corruption’ as explained in para 70 of the Bribery Act, offence of conspiracy to commit corruption and the offence of aiding and abetting corruption.”

The Commission has recommended that cases should be filed against these people under sections 113(B) and 102 of the Penal Code to be read with section 70 of the Bribery Act as amended by Act No. 20 of 1998.

The Commission also stated that the offence committed by Mahinda Rajapaksa is so grave that new laws should be enacted barring him contesting elections for life.

The Commission Report further states:

“It appears that the offence of corruption has been committed by the first party noticed (Chairman Anura Siriwardene) appointed by the sixth party noticed (Mahinda Rajapaksa) having treated the ITN, of which the government holds 100% shares, as his private property causing a loss to the government. “The sixth party noticed (Mahinda Rajapaksa) has in the same manner committed the offence of conspiracy for corruption.

“The third and fourth parties noticed (Upali Ranjith and Dilip Wickremesinghe) have committed the offences of corruption, aiding and abetting corruption and conspiracy to corruption at different times.

“People who have committed these offences cannot be expected to render any service to the country or its people.

“Therefore, this Commission is of opinion that it is not proper for politicians convicted of these offences to be appointed as people’s representatives in the legislature or as officers in statutory boards even after seven years of their being convicted.

You failed to take action and now propose to spend millions and worse proceeded to appoint the same person as Prime Minister. If your differences with Ranil W was the genuine cause and wanted a change you could have appointed someone who had not come to adverse notice by PRECIFAC. The fact that you did not do so clearly reveals what motivated you to insult the 6.2 million who entusted the country to you.

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