Probes on state assets on hold

Chairman and Secretary yet to be appointed:

Investigations on state assets have been put on hold as a chairman and Secretary are still not appointed to Special Presidential Task Force on the Recovery of State Assets. President Maithripala Sirisena has to make these appointments and until such time no investigations can be carried out. Probes on state assets illegally stashed away from the country cannot be investigated due to this , sources of the Task Force told the Sunday Observer.

The sources said despite President Maitiripala Sirisena appointing 13 members to the Task Force at the end of April, it is still not in a position to start work without these appointments being filled.

Despite the appointment of the Task Force no specific cases have been referred to it for investigations. "We are hoping to start investigations soon with the appointment of the Chairman and the Secretary", sources added.

President Maitripala Sirisena last month appointed former Solicitor General Bimba Tillakaratne PC, H.M.L.T. Mudalige, H. Amaratunga, C.A.H.M. Wijeratna, Senior Assistant Secretary to the Justice Ministry A.K.D.D. Arandara, L.S. Pathinayake, Director General of the Commission to

Investigate Bribery or Corruption Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe, Commissioner General of Inland Revenue Department Kalyani Dahanayake, Director General of Customs Jagath P. Wijeweera, D.G.N. Jayawardena, C.A. Premashantha, Additional Solicitor General Yasantha Kodagoda PC and senior lawyer J.C. Weliamuna as the members of the Task Force.

(RW)