SriLankan Airlines Board resigns

The entire Board of Directors of SriLankan Airlines has formally resigned on Thursday, the Daily FT learns.

Previously there were reports regarding resignation yet the Board functioned. 

It is learnt that the formal stepping down was to facilitate the reconstitution of the national carrier’s Board. Veteran banker and former Ministry Secretary Ranjith Fernando’s name is speculated to be the new Chairman. The existing Board which resigned on Thursday comprised Ajith N. Dias (Chairman), Rajan Brito, Chanaka de Silva, Mahinda Haradasa, Rakhita Jayawardena, Niranjan De Silva Deva Aditya and Harendra K. Balapatabendi.

The resignation of the Board was anticipated soon after President Maithripala Sirisena in early February decided to appoint a five-member Presidential Commission to investigate allegations of fraud and corruption in the national carrier  SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering Ltd and Mihin Lanka Ltd during the 12-year period starting from 01 January 2006 to 31 January 2018.

The committee includes retired Supreme Court Judge Anil Gooneratne, Court of Appeal Judge Justice Gamini Rohan Amarasekara, retired High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe and Former Deputy Auditor General M. D. Anthony Harold and Director General of Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board (SLAASMB) W. J. K. Geeganage.