Karu assures Govt. assets, resources will not be used for election

Karu Jayasuriya

The current Sri Lankan Government will not use its assets, resources or public officers during the campaign of the upcoming election, a government minister affirmed.

The Minister of Public Administration, Provincial Councils, Local Government and Democratic Governance, Karu Jayasuriya, made this assertion when he received the report of the special committee appointed to investigate allegations of malpractices in the government sector during the 2015 presidential election.

Based on a proposal made by the Minister, the Government earlier this year appointed a committee to probe alleged corruption which took place during the last presidential election campaign of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Speaking at the function where the committee’s report was submitted to Minister Jayasuriya, Committee Chairman S. Ranugge said that the committee received 14 complaints of election malpractices during the 2015 election and these were recorded in detail in the report.

The complaints targeted a range of officials, from those operating in the upper rungs of several government organisations to officials functioning under them, according to reports by the state-run radio station.

The committee has received many complaints implicating corrupt officials who have misused government assets to support former President Rajapaksa during the election.

There are many instances of public fund misappropriation such as the distribution of LP gas cylinders, electrical equipment, wristwatches, mobile phones and school books to supporters of the previous administration.

The report also stated that Rs. 600 million worth of funds from the Telecommunication Regulatory Commission were utilised to distribute clothes to Buddhist pilgrims at a function held at the Presidential Secretariat. The state-owned SLTB has provided transport services worth Rs. 142 million to the former president’s supporters at the campaign.

The committee also reported the payment of large sums to electronic media organisations for advertisements and promotional activities.

Speaking at this function, Minister Karu Jayasuriya said that the report would be submitted to the President and Prime Minister.