… Prez Secretariat faulted for not maintaining asset declaration registry

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has decided against refiling 34 cases that were withdrawn during the 2019-2024 period.

The 34 cases are among 102 cases withdrawn during that period, the CIABOC has disclosed, adding that 65 cases had been refiled. Decisions on three others are pending according to statistics made available on 01 March 2025.

The CIABOC provided a breakdown of the withdrawal of cases: 2019 (5), 2020 (0), 2021 (44), 2022 (49), 2023 (02) and 2024 (2).

The current CIABOC consists of Justice W. M. N. P. Iddawala (Chairman/Commissioner), K. B. Rajapakse (Commissioner) and Chethiya Goonesekera P.C (Commissioner). Its Director General is R. S. A. Dissanayake.

According to the CIABOC the majority of cases were withdrawn due to the absence of the signatures of all commissioners who served during 2019-2024.

Among the cases dropped by the CIABOC were four involving former Cooperatives and Internal Trade Minister Johnston Fernando. The CIABOC found fault with the Presidential Secretariat (PS) for the collapse of the cases due to the failure on the part of the PS to maintain a proper asset declaration registry at that time. The charge against the then Minister Fernando was the non-disclosure of assets and liabilities during the 2010-2014 period.

Fernando contested the last general election on the SLPP ticket but failed to retain his seat in Kurunegala District.The CIABOC has also decided against refiling the case against MP Rohitha

Abeygunawardena (New Democratic Front/Kalutara District) as the corruption charges pertained to acquisition of illegal assets amounting to Rs. 41.2 mn in 2004 and due to their failure to move court within 20 years.

The CIABOC also disclosed that the case against one-time Chairman of National Lotteries Board A.I. Ismail (2002-2003) charged for wrongful payment of Rs 9.8 mn to a private party had been dropped due to main witnesses former prisons Commissioner G.M.K. Bandara and former Director Public Enterprises K.M. Indrajith having migrated.

By Shamindra Ferdinando

The Election Commission yesterday announced a revision to the postal voting schedule for the upcoming Local Government Elections, which are set to take place on May 6.According to the updated timetable, postal voting would now be conducted on April 24, 25, 28, and 29, Election Commission Chairman R.M.A.L. Rathnayake said yesterday.

“All government institutions, including the police, tri-forces, schools, corporations, and statutory

boards, will conduct postal voting on these four days,” Rathnayake said, adding that employees of those institutions can mark their postal ballots at their respective offices without any change to the existing arrangements.

A special postal voting centre will be set up at Kandy Girls’ High School to facilitate voting by police personnel on duty at the Sri Dalada Maligawa during the exposition of the Sacred Tooth Relic.

Arrangements have been made for tri-forces personnel to cast their postal votes under the supervision of designated certifying officers at their respective camps during the same four-day period.

In preparation for the elections, official ballot papers for all eligible postal voters across the 339 local government bodies were handed over to the Postal Department by Returning Officers on April 16. Distribution has already begun and will continue until April 29.

The Election Commission advises any postal voter who has not received their ballot by April 29 to make inquiries at their respective post offices.

The revised schedule replaces an earlier announcement made on March 27, which had designated April 22, 23, and 24 for postal voting at district secretariats and election offices, with April 28 and 29 set aside for those unable to vote on the initial dates.

With the latest changes, April 24, 25, 28, and 29 are now the official postal voting dates for the 2025 Local Government Elections.

A total of 18 candidates and 62 supporters have been taken into custody across the country in connection with criminal complaints related to the impending local government elections by yesterday morning (17).

 A total of 38 criminal complaints related to the election and 138 complaints regarding violations of election laws have been lodged with police stations in different parts of the country.

 According to the Police Media Division, on 16 Jan., two criminal complaints related to the election and six complaints regarding election law violations were received.

By Chaminda Silva