PRECIFAC requests extension till March 2018

By Shanika Sriyananda

The anti-corruption commission, which has completed nine final reports on fraud, corruption, the misuse of state funds and abuse of power during the previous regime of Mahinda Rajapaksa, expects another extension till 15 March 2018, sources said.

 The Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power (PRECIFAC), which was granted one extension in March 2016, has already handed over nine final reports on serious fraud and corruption to President Maithripala Sirisena. 

 Its second extension ends on 15 March this year. The final reports included alleged fraud at the Independent Television Network (ITN), the illegal deployment of Rakna Lanka employees for the 2015 presidential polls, the sale of expired dynamite by the Ministry of Defence and also the recently handed over final reports of financial irregularities at SriLankan Airlines and SriLanka Airlines Catering,  the misuse of state funds at the Lunuwila Coconut Research Board, financial irregularities reported at the North Central Provincial Council when purchasing water filters and the misuse of state vehicles  and fuel by former Chief Minister of the North Central Province S.M. Ranjith.

The final reports of PRECIFAC were prepared after the testimonies of state officials over complaints at public hearings held before the five-member panel of PRECIFAC Commissioners  which comprised High Court judges Padman Surasena, Piyasena Ranasinghe and Gihan Kulatunga and former Auditor General B.A. Premathilake.

According to sources, PRECIFAC’s mandate is over after handing over its final reports to the President and the final decision to bring the culprits before the law is vested in President Sirisena.