News

Probes and probity

Published

5 years ago

2021/10/9

Saturday 9th October, 2021

The Opposition may have expected the government to defend Thirukumar Nadesan and his wife Nirupama Rajapaksa openly over the Pandora Papers revelations and get into a bigger political mess in the process. But the latter chose to act intelligently, for once. It ordered a probe—not out of any genuine desire to ascertain the truth and institute legal action against anyone but in what appears to be a bid to deflect criticism.

An otherwise lethargic Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has swung into action. Asked by this newspaper what action it would take in respect of the Pandora Papers allegations against Nirupama and her husband, the CIABOC said it could act only if a complaint was lodged. In fact, it is not in a position to initiate an inquiry or an investigation of its own volition thanks to the draconian 20th Amendment, which stripped it of some vital powers. No one had made a complaint by that time. Curiously, a presidential order galvanised the CIABOC into action. It summoned Nadesan and recorded a statement yesterday.

Interestingly, President Gotabaya Rajapaksa is a member of the ruling family, which its political rivals are all out to implicate in the questionable offshore financial transactions of Nadesan. He has also asked the CIABOC to submit a report to him within one month!

It would have been much better if the CIABOC had been able to probe the Pandora Papers disclosure on its own. All Executive Presidents have not cared to rise above partisan politics and act impartially, and therefore presidential directives are not devoid of politics.

Not all shell company owners are engaged in criminal activities; but most of them are responsible for tax evasion, which needs to be investigated separately. Most of those involved in offshore financial transactions have caused huge losses to their home countries by parking their money overseas illegally. The International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), which carried out the Pandora Papers investigation, has said the losses at issue range from USD 5.6 trillion to USD 32 trillion. The International Monetary Fund is of the view that the losses that tax havens cause to many countries around the world could be as high as USD 600 billion a year. The existence of the offshore world aggravates global poverty and inequalities because it deprives the developing nations of some of their tax revenue, as we pointed out in a previous comment. Therefore, besides the ongoing CIABOC probe, there must be a multi-agency investigation into the ICIJ revelations about Sri Lankans, like the one India has ordered.

Offshore transactions are extremely complex processes, and if the CIABOC is capable of conducting a thorough probe into the allegations against Nadesan and submit a report thereon to the President within one month, there is no reason why it should take years to finish other probes that do not involve such complex operations.

If the CIABOC is to carry out its duties and functions free from political influence, it should be made independent of the Executive President as well. It may be recalled that all political parties, represented in Parliament, sank their differences and deprived the national anti-graft commission of the power to inquire into allegations of bribery or corruption sua sponte, in 1994. This power was restored by the 19th Amendment to the Constitution (2015), which made it ‘lawful for the Commission … to inquire into, or investigate an allegation of bribery or corruption, whether on its own motion or on a written complaint made to it.’ There were flaws in the 19th Amendment that had to be rectified, but the salutary provisions like the aforesaid one should have been retained. The 20th Amendment, which was crafted to strengthen the executive presidency, stripped the CIABOC of that power again. Otherwise, there would have been no need for the President to order the CIABOC to initiate an investigation into the ICIJ findings anent Sri Lanka, and, above all, the probe would have been more acceptable to the public.

All News Advertisement

News

Developing the human resources needed for construction projects remains a key challenge before us – PM

Published

3 hours ago

2026/06/20

Priyan

Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya stated that the Government has already allocated substantial funds for future development activities, including the restoration of areas damaged by the recent cyclone Ditwah, and that one of the key challenges currently faced is securing the necessary human resources, particularly technical personnel, required to carry out the construction and development projects.

The Prime Minister made these remarks on Friday [June 19] in Kandy while paying a visit on the Mahanayaka Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters.

During her visit to the Malwathu Maha Viharaya in Kandy, the Prime Minister met with the Most Venerable Thibbatuwawe Sri Siddhartha Sumangala Mahanayaka Thero, Mahanayaka of the Malwathu Chapter, as well as the Anunayaka Theros of the Chapter, the Most Venerable Niyangoda Vijithasiri Thero and the Most Venerable Dimbulkumbure Wimaladhamma Thero. The Prime Minister also engaged in a discussion with the Mahanayaka Thero.

Subsequently, the Prime Minister paid a visit to the Most Venerable Warakagoda Gnanarathana Mahanayaka Thero, Mahanayaka of the Asgiri Chapter of the Siam Maha Nikaya of Sri Lanka, and the Anunayaka of the Asgiri Chapter, the Most Venerable Narampanawa Ananda Thero.

During the discussions, the Prime Minister briefed the Mahanayaka Thero on the current progress of the new education reforms. She also stated that measures would be taken to recruit teachers in the near future to address the existing teacher shortage. She further noted that the evaluation of answer scripts from the recently held teacher recruitment examination is currently underway and that successful candidates will be recruited expeditiously following a practical assessment.

The occasion was attended by the Members of Parliament, the Secretary to the Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Nalaka Kaluwewa, and several other officials.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

Children should gain experience through activities such as aesthetics and sports from the primary education stage – PM

Published

4 hours ago

2026/06/20

Priyan

Minister of Education, Higher Education and Vocational Education, Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya, stated that if Sri Lanka is to nurture the future leaders, children must be exposed from the primary education itself to the experiences and values gained through fields such as aesthetics and sports.

The Prime Minister made these remarks while participating in the “Punchi Hapannu 2026” occasion to recognize and appreciate the winners of the Primary Literary Skills, held on Thursday [8 June]at Polpithigama National School during an educational inspection tour in the Kurunegala District.

The event was organized to recognize the winners of the “Punchi Hapannu 2026” Language and Literary Skills Competition, which was conducted with the participation of students from 49 primary schools in the Polpithigama Education Division, based on a concept initiated by the Divisional Director of Education. The occasion was further featured by aesthetic performances presented by students who had won across 17 different competition categories.

During the event, certificates were awarded to the winners by the Prime Minister.

Addressing the occasion, the Prime Minister further stated:

“The initiative undertaken within the Polpithigama Education Division is an example for the entire country. Primary education is a broad and multifaceted field. The foundation provided through primary education is important in guiding a child along the right path. A child has only one opportunity in life to experience primary education, and it is our responsibility to ensure that this opportunity is provided in the most appropriate way.

Today, we witnessed how effectively the children of the Polpithigama Education Division utilized the opportunity given to them to creatively showcase their aesthetic talents. Likewise, we are striving to build an education system that provides opportunities for children across Sri Lanka to develop their hidden talents”.

Following the ceremony, the Prime Minister visited Makulpotha Maha Vidyalaya in the Polpithigama Education Division and layed the foundation-stone for a new two-storey school building.

The construction project, implemented with an investment of Rs. 45 million, is scheduled to be completed in 2026 and handed over for students in January 2027.

The event was graced by the presence of members of the Maha Sangha, and attended by the Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Livestock Namal Karunaratne, Kurunegala District Member of Parliament Attorney-at-Law Geetha Herath, education officials of the North Western Province, parents, principals, and several other invitees.

[Prime Minister’s Media Division]

News

Inaugural session of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya Student Parliament held at the Presidential Secretariat

Published

5 hours ago

2026/06/20

Priyan

The inaugural session of the Student Parliament of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Colombo, was held on Friday (19) morning at the Old Parliament Chamber of the Presidential Secretariat.

The event was organised under the ‘Vision’ programme series, a joint initiative of the Presidential Secretariat, the Ministry of Education and the Department of Communication of the Parliament of Sri Lanka. Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya was selected to participate in this programme as part of the initiative.

During the event, Deputy Chairperson of Committees of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Hemali Weerasekara, addressed the students on leadership, personality development and parliamentary traditions.

Senior Additional Secretary to the President, Roshan Gamage, explained the role of the President’s Fund and highlighted the programmes implemented for the benefit of school students.

Senior Presidential Adviser on Science and Technology, Professor Gomika Udugamasooriya, emphasised that life’s challenges can be overcome by critically examining every experience. He also highlighted the importance of encouraging children, from their school years onward, to explore diverse fields beyond a single subject area and to develop an innovative mindset through experimentation and discovery.

Among those present were Director General of Public Relations to the President, Dharmasiri Gamage, Director (Communications) of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Samantha Mallawarachchi, Deputy Director (Administration) of the Parliament of Sri Lanka, Chintha Madhubhashini, Director of the Tri-Forces Coordination Unit at the Presidential Secretariat, Air Commodore Asiri Gallage; Assistant Director Lieutenant Colonel Nadeeka Dangolla; Principal of Sirimavo Bandaranaike Vidyalaya, Dr. Sumedha Jayaweera; Principal of Ananda College, Colombo, D. M. Lal Dissanayake; as well as teachers, parents and students.

(PMD)