5 Ministry Secretaries to be summoned before Parliamentary Committees for questioning

A motion to summon five Secretaries to Ministries before Parliamentary Committees for questioning has been handed over to the Speaker of the House, Parliamentarian Patali Champika Ranawaka said yesterday.

The motion to summon the five Secretaries, including the Secretary to the Prime Minister appointed by the President on 26 October, Mahinda Rajapaksa, before the Privilege Committee of Parliament, Financial Committee and the Public Accounts Committee has been handed over to the Parliament Secretary-General as well.

Speaking to media MP Ranawaka said the Secretary to Mahinda Rajapaksa S. Amarasekara, Ministry of Finance Secretary S. R. Attygalle, Ministry of Trade, Consumer, Co-operative Development and Christian Affairs Secretary Bernard Wasantha Perera, Housing and Social Welfare Ministry Secretary Upali Marasinghe, and Ministry of International Trade and Investment Secretary S. V. Kodikara will be the first to be summoned. 

The MP said the measure has been taken since certain officials of the Ministry of Finance, Prime Minister’s Office, and other Ministries had failed to comply with the order of the Court.

MP Ranawaka said investigations will be conducted to determine whether funds allocated to Ministries were misused after Parliament passed a motion suspending funds to the Office of the Prime Minister and all Ministries.

He added that the Parliamentary Committees have the legal authority to summon them for questioning.

MPs Lakshman Kiriella, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Ravi Karunanayake, Rajitha Senaratne, Akila Viraj Kariyawasam, and Arjuna Ranatunga have signed the motion.