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| Sunday, 8 August 2004 |
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SB to account for Rs. 29m From the News Desk Former People's Alliance and United National Front government Minister S. B. Dissanayake has sought two months time from the Commission to Investigate Allegation of Bribery or Corruption (CIABC) to explain how he amassed Rs. 29 million as a minister of the previous two regimes. The Commission has asked Dissanayake to reveal how he came by such a huge sum of money as a Minister. The Commission has set a deadline of 30 days as stipulated by law, but Dissanayake has requested two months, well informed sources said. Authoritative sources from the Commission said the investigations into allegations against the former minister had been concluded and Dissanayake has been asked to explain why he should not be prosecuted. Minister Dissanayake, one time General Secretary of the Sri Lanka Freedom Party who switched sides in 2001, was earlier investigated by the Commission till the investigations came to an abrupt end following the demise of Commissioner N. Abeyweera in February 2003. The demise of Commissioner Abeyweera and the strident recruitment procedure to the Commission saw the Commission defunct for almost one and half years till the appointment of Justice K. Viknarajah last month. Minister Dissanayake's case is one of the 25 complaints involving Government and Opposition parliamentarians received by the Commission. Meanwhile former Minister Dissanayake said the renewed investigation against him was more an organised 'mud slinging' campaign than an investigation. The former Minister said he was found innocent by an investigation ordered by President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga soon after his resignation from the PA. He claimed there was interference by the President into the said investigations using an official of the Commission. He said he faced a second investigation by the Commission which received another complaint against him. "The investigations lasted for one and half a years and lawyers were confident that I will be acquitted from all the charges," Dissanayake said in a statement clarifying the charges against him. He said he received a fresh letter last week requesting replies to the same questions which he had answered one and half a years ago. He said he requested additional time since his senior lawyer was abroad. |
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