Real problem is President overlooking dept. official with 30 years of experience in favour of a crony with five years of service in CPC: MP Dayasiri Jayasekera

Former Auditor General Gamini Wijesinghe said yesterday (26) that there was absolutely no basis for Opposition claims that the AG had to be a person serving in the Department.

In terms of the Constitution, the President could appoint a public servant qualified to hold that vital post, Wijesinghe said. The President’s choice is subject to approval by the Constitutional Council, chaired by the Speaker.

“If only employees of the Department are eligible to become the AG, how could I receive that appointment,” Wijesinghe asked. Wijesinghe was commenting on the ongoing controversy over President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s bid to bring an outsider at the expense of the next-in-line for the post. The 41st Attorney General W. P. Chulantha Wickramaratne, retired on 08 April.

Wijesinghe found fault with both the government and the Opposition for failing to conduct a fact-check before addressing the issue at hand. “A section of the AG’s Department always resented the appointment of an outsider as the head. Some felt vulnerable for obvious reasons. I have experienced that,” Wijesinghe said.

Responding to The Island query, Wijesinghe added that he had been with the Inland Revenue Department for 28 years, in addition to serving as the Director General of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board (SLAASMB), for about one and half years, before he was picked as the Auditor General. “The post of AG is not a position within the National Audit Service.”

Wijesinghe served in that capacity for three and half years during a politically turbulent period during which the then government perpetrated Treasury bond scams twice in February 2015 and March 2016. Wijesinghe emphasised that under his leadership the Department conducted no holds barred examination of the Treasury bond scams. Wijesinghe said that during his tenure no one questioned his background as the Department successfully met, what he called, an overwhelmingly challenging task.

Wijesinghe said that whatever various interested parties propagated, the President should, without hesitation, chose a person capable of leading the Department. The government shouldn’t be influenced by trade unions which sometimes tend to promote their own interests at the expense of national interests, Wijesinghe said.

Emphasising the need to restore public confidence in the state sector, Wijesinghe said that the overall government response to corruption should be based on an efficient mechanism to deal with the AG’s findings made available to the Parliament, via the relevant watchdog committees.

Unfortunately, the Parliament hadn’t been able, so far, to reach consensus on a mechanism to take tangible measures to tackle waste, corruption and irregularities, the ex-official said.

Asked whether NPP representatives sought his opinion on the issues relating to the new appointment, Wijesinghe said that he wasn’t consulted.

Commenting on dilution of the National Audit Bill that was passed in Parliament on 05 July, 2018, Wijesinghe said that corrupt elements, at different levels, undermined that vital piece of legislation. The powers that be felt that if the Bill, in its original form, had been adopted by Parliament, it would pose a danger to their interests, Wijesinghe said, urging political parties, represented in Parliament, to reach a consensus on a qualified person.

“I sincerely hope the Constitutional Council examines the contentious issue fully.”

Wijesinghe said that the House must take into consideration that deterioration of accountability, at all levels in public service, heavily contributed to the economic ruin. The declaration of bankruptcy in April 2022 was perhaps long overdue, Wijesinghe said, adding that Parliament, AG’s Department, CIABOC (Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption) should work in unison to overcome challenges.

Wijesinghe said that governments used to grant Acting appointments to AGs on many occasions. There had been an instance of one holding the acting appointment for one and half years, Wijesinghe said, alleging that was the government strategy to keep the top man under check.

All political parties in Parliament, and previously represented in the House, should examine how they contributed to the economic deterioration. Instead they always tend to take a political stand, regardless of consequences, he said. The debate over the 42nd AG is no exception, Wijesinghe said.

Meanwhile, SJB MP Dayasiri Jayasekera, contacted for comment, said the real problem was that President Dissanayake had overlooked a deserving department official with 30 years of experience in trying to appoint one of his university friends as the Auditor General.

By Shamindra Ferdinando