Bribery Commission to probe Maharoof

by a Special Correspondent

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has directed the Bribery Commission to investigate allegations of corruption and fraud levelled at UNP Colombo district MP, Mohamed Maharoof.

U. K. Hewapathirana, Additional Secretary to the President conveyed the President's decision to the Director General of the Bribery Commission this week. This action follows a petition sent to the President by UNPer, T. M. Sanghadasa.

Meanwhile, the election of Colombo District MP (UNP), Mohamed Maharoof to Parliament is to be challenged in court shortly on an allegation of making a false declaration to the Elections Department and Parliament over his date of birth, UNP sources disclosed yesterday. A very senior UNPer from Colombo Central is expected to go before court on this issue.

Sources said the MP reportedly born in 1951 has declared his date of birth as 7.3.1956 and is also alleged to be in possession of two national identity cards bearing Nos. 560666505V and 560674066V which are believed to be forged. It is alleged that he had used NIC No-560666505V to obtain a non immigrant visa to travel to Washington DC, USA. He had on July 20, 2004 signed as a guarantor to a vehicle lease with the Commercial Bank of Ceylon Ltd, using the second NIC, No-560674066V. The vehicle had been obtained on lease in the name of his former private secretary, Mohamed Minzar. Possession of forged documents and declaration of false information by those who hold public office is a criminal offence under the Penal Code.

The MP's passport, bearing No. D-0009031, obtained on 6.11.2000 does not mention an NIC number. Instead, that column reads as NO NIC001070429. Immigration sources explained that NONIC meant 'no national identity card' submitted to obtain the passport. However, on the same day, the MP in his US non immigrant visa form had mention his NIC number as 560666505V.

The senior Colombo UNPer who is expected to challenge Maharoof's election to Parliament claim that according to school records, Maharoof had been admitted to a leading Catholic College in Kotahena in 1956 to the Lower Kindergarten and had sat the GCE (O/L) in Commerce in 1966. The Primary School Headmaster in 1956 had been Rev. Brother Victor and the Principal of the College in 1966 had been Rev. Brother Lawrence, the UNPer revealed.

In the application that is now being prepared to file before court, the names of four classmates who have studied with the MP in the Commerce stream and five others who had been with him up to grade eight have been cited. All of them are reported to be alive and born in 1951.