Officials appearing before COPE to take oath following Ferdinando fiasco

Wednesday, 22 June 2022 00:26 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Committee at special meeting decides officials take an oath pledging to disclose truthful, accurate information
COPE discusses letter sent by former CEB Chairman
Ferdinando summoned again to appear tomorrow

Former CEB Chairman M.M.C. Ferdinando

Officials who appear before the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) will be required to take an oath affirming that they will place only accurate and truthful information before the Committee, it was decided yesterday.

The decision was taken at a special meeting of the COPE chaired by MP Charitha Herath.

The decision comes in the wake of the controversial statement made to the Committee by former CEB Chairman M.M.C. Ferdinando that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi allegedly influenced President Gotabaya Rajapaksa to award a wind power project in Sri Lanka to the Adani Group.

“Today we considered the letter sent to COPE by the Chairman of the CEB on 06.11.2022. An important discussion took place in accordance with that letter. I would like to draw your attention to certain points in this letter that have been submitted as an appendix to it.

“Accordingly, the decision of COPE is that the former Chairman M.M.C. Ferdinando will be summoned before the Committee again to hold discussions with him and thereby re-determine the contents of this letter and then take the decision regarding expunging the respective contents of his testimony as requested,” Herath said.

The Committee also decided to summon Ferdinando to appear before COPE on 23 June at 11 a.m.

COPE also decided to hold a special meeting on 25 July based on the expert reports on the progress of SriLankan Airlines.

MPs Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Jagath Pushpakumara, Anura Dissanayaka, Harsha de Silva, Patali Champika Ranawaka, Mahindananda Aluthgamage, Sarath Weerasekera, Jayantha Samaraweera, S.M. Marikkar, Nalin Bandara Jayamaha, Indika Anuruddha Herath, Nalaka Godahewa, Eran Wickramaratne, Madhura Withanage and Premnath C. Dolawatte were present at this meeting.