Parliamentary Select Committee to probe CB’s purchase of foreign assets under MR

A parliamentary select committee was appointed yesterday to investigate the expenses incurred over the controversial purchases of properties in Brazil and the United States through the Central Bank of Sri Lanka.

The 22-member select committee is headed by UNP MP Ananda Kumarasiri. State Minister of Science, Technology and Research Lakshman Senewiratne, MPs Pavithra Wanniarachchi, Douglas Devananda, Bandula Gunawardena, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Vidura Wickremanayake, Sunil Handunnetti, Bimal Rathnayake, Anura Sidney Jayaratne, Lakshman Ananda Wijemanna, E. Sarawanapavan, Nalin Bandara Jayamaha, Hector Appuhamy, S. Aravinda Kumar, Ananda Aluthgamage, Prof. Ashu Marasinghe, Thusitha Wijemanne, Sandith Samarasinghe and S. Sivamohan are the other members. The select committee is expected to present its report to Parliament within six months of its first sitting.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya appointed the select committee in response to the motion Opposition lawmaker Sunil Handunnetti moved a few months ago demanding an investigation over the shady transactions of procuring an office premises for the Sri Lankan Embassy in Brazil and a building in New York to house the Office of the Resident Representative of Sri Lanka to the United Nations.