News
SC ruling on economic meltdown: Lacille wants wrongdoers appropriately dealt with
By Shamindra Ferdinando
One-rime Secretary of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) Lacille de Silva yesterday (17) said that leaders of political parties represented in Parliament should set up a committee to study the landmark Supreme Court ruling on the economic crisis.
On the basis of a thorough examination of the ruling, action should be initiated against those who had been found guilty of economic ruin, regardless of their standing in the society, de Silva said.The prominent civil society activist who had served as Director, Administration of Parliament for over a decade during a turbulent period said that if political leaders genuinely responded to the situation, SC ruling could help Parliament to clean up the mess. “They’ll never get another opportunity like this,” de Silva said.
Lacille de Silva said that the political parties couldn’t ignore the Supreme Court faulted former President Gotabaya Rajapaksa who chaired the Cabinet-of-Ministers (Nov 2019-May 2022) and Finance Ministers, Mahinda Rajapaksa (Nov 2019-June 2021) and Basil Rajapaksa (June 2021-April 2022) and the five-member Monetary Board for the current crisis.
The former House official said so responding to The Island queries regarding political developments in the wake of the SC ruling. Pointing out that Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL) as one of the petitioners in this case has already underscored the responsibility on the part of Parliament and relevant institutions and ministries to act on the SC ruling, de Silva emphasized that wrongdoers shouldn’t be shielded under any circumstances.
Responding to another query, the ex-House official said that though former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, MP, and MP Namal Rajapaksa commented on the SC ruling, political parties were yet to disclose how they intended to deal with the situation.
“It wouldn’t be an easy task. I know how the powers that be during the Yahapalana administration reacted to investigations undertaken by the PRECIFAC. I was sacked as its Secretary. On a directive given by the then President Maithripala Sirisena, Presidential Secretary P.B. Abeykoon informed me, in writing, of my removal. They didn’t at least give a reason,” de Silva said. “This happened in late Feb or early March 2016,” de Silva said, urging the Parliament to take up the challenge.
The SC ruling meant that the Gotabaya Rajapaksas’ government caused the unprecedented economic crisis, de Silva said, pointing out that the court was told of the need to refer the case to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
The SC ruling quoted Upul Jayasuriya, PC, appearing for some petitioners that a proper investigation under the relevant laws relating to Bribery and Corruption would ensure due respect to accountability.
Lacille de Silva said that against the backdrop of the SC ruling the Parliament constitutionally responsible for ensuring financial discipline and enactment of laws should inquire into its failure on its part to identify the impending catastrophe. “Perhaps, statements made by Governor of the Central Bank Dr. Nandalal Weerasinghe before the Committee on Public Accounts (COPA) and Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) on May 24 and 25, 2022, respectively, should be re-examined. Dr. Weerasinghe didn’t mince his words when he quite rightly and clearly placed the blame on those who were found guilty by the SC on Nov 14, 2023.” Dr. Weerasinghe explained how tax revision declared and implemented in Nov 2019 contarry to the advice of IMF triggered the crisis, de Silva said.
The former House official emphasized that consequent to the SC ruling, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena and leaders of political parties represented in Parliament would have to ascertain the requirement for the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) on the economic crisis. Noting that Prof. Charitha Herath, the former COPE Chairman, too, has been preparing a report on the continuing crisis, de Silva suggested the government and Opposition should reach consensus on a common action plan.
Referring to the judgment, de Silva said that the Supreme Court was told how the government ignored interventions made by the Central Bank in a bid to initiate a programme with the International Monetary Fund (IMF). The government’s irresponsible response led to the downfall of the economy, the SC was also told.
The IMF according to President’s Counsel Jayasuriya not only denied the last tranche of the IMF programme commenced in 2016 but also refused to grant a relief facility – Rapid Financing Instrument (RFI) – to overcome the ill-effects of the pandemic.
The Government’s ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund, established to provide relief and support to communities affected by Cyclone Ditwah, continues to receive financial contributions on a daily basis.
Accordingly, the Containers Transport Owners Association made a financial contribution of Rs. 1.5 million, while the Association of SriLankan Airlines Licensed Aircraft Engineers contributed Rs. 1.35 million to the Fund.
The respective cheques were formally presented to the Secretary to the President, Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, at the Presidential Secretariat on Friday (19).
The occasion was attended by W. M. S. K. Manjula, Chairman of the Containers Transport Owners Association, together with Dilip Nihal Anslem Perera and Jayantha Karunadhipathi.
Representing the Association of SriLankan Airlines Licensed Aircraft Engineers were Deshan Rajapaksa, Samudika Perera and Devshan Rodrigo handed over the cheque.
A meeting between Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya and a delegation of UNICEF representatives was held on Saturday, (December 20) at the Prime Minister’s Office.
During the meeting, the Prime Minister explained the measures taken by the Government to ensure the protection of the affected student community and to restore the damaged school system, as well as the challenges encountered in this process.
The Prime Minister stated that reopening schools located in landslide-prone areas would be extremely dangerous. Accordingly, the Government is focusing on identifying such schools and relocating them to suitable locations based on scientific assessments.
The Prime Minister further noted that financial assistance has been provided to students affected by the disaster, enabling parents to send their children back to school without an additional financial burden. Emphasizing that school is the safest place for children after their homes, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that the school environment would help restore and improve students’ mental well-being
The Prime Minister also highlighted that attention has been given to several key areas, including the relocation of disaster-affected schools, restoration of school infrastructure, merging and operating certain schools jointly, facilitating teaching and learning through digital and technological strategies, and providing special transportation facilities. She emphasized that the Government is examining these issues and is committed to finding long-term solutions.
The UNICEF representatives commended the Government’s commitment and the initiatives undertaken to restore the education sector and assured their support to the Government. Both parties also discussed working together collaboratively on future initiatives.
The meeting was attended by the UNICEF representatives to Sri Lanka Emma Brigham, Lakshmi Sureshkumar, Nishantha Subash, and Yashinka Jayasinghe, along with Secretary to the Ministry of Education Nalaka Kaluwewa, Director of Education Dakshina Kasturiarachchi, Deputy Directors Kasun Gunarathne and Udara Dikkumbura.
(Prime Minister’s Media Division)
Drug controversy:
“Setting up state-of-the-art drug testing facility will cost Rs 5 billion”
Activists call for legal action against politicians, bureaucrats
Serious questions have been raised over Sri Lanka’s drug regulatory system following revelations that the National Medicines Regulatory Authority’s (NMRA) quality control laboratory is not accredited by the Sri Lanka Accreditation Board (SLAB), casting doubt on both the reliability of local test results and the adequacy of oversight of imported medicines.
Medical and civil rights groups warn that the issue points to a systemic regulatory failure rather than an isolated lapse, with potential political and financial consequences for the State.
Chairman of the Federation of Medical and Civil Rights Professional Associations, Specialist Dr. Chamal Sanjeewa, said the controversy surrounding the Ondansetron injection, which was later found to be contaminated, had exposed deep weaknesses in drug regulation and quality assurance.
Dr. Sanjeewa said that the manufacturer had confirmed that the drug had been imported into Sri Lanka on four occasions this year, despite later being temporarily withdrawn from use. The drug was manufactured in India in November 2024 and in May and August 2025, and imported to Sri Lanka in February, July and September. On each occasion, 67,600 phials were procured.
Dr. Sanjeewa said the company had informed the NMRA that the drug was tested in Indian laboratories, prior to shipment, and passed all required quality checks. The manufacturer reportedly tested the injections against 10 parameters, including basic quality standards,
pH value, visual appearance, component composition, quantity per phial, sterility levels, presence of other substances, bacterial toxin levels and spectral variations.
According to documents submitted to the NMRA, no bacterial toxins were detected in the original samples, and the reported toxin levels were within European safety limits of less than 9.9 international units per milligram.
Dr. Sanjeewa said the credibility of local regulatory oversight had come under scrutiny, noting that the NMRA’s quality control laboratory was not SLAB-accredited. He said establishing a fully equipped, internationally accredited laboratory would cost nearly Rs. 5 billion.
He warned that the failure to invest in such a facility could have grave consequences, including continued loss of life due to substandard medicines and the inability of the State to recover large sums of public funds paid to pharmaceutical companies for defective drugs.
“If urgent steps are not taken, public money will continue to be lost and accountability will remain elusive,” Dr. Sanjeewa said.
He added that if it was ultimately confirmed that the drug did not contain bacterial toxins at the time it entered Sri Lanka, the fallout would be even more damaging, severely undermining the credibility of the country’s health system and exposing weaknesses in health administration.
Dr. Sanjeewa said public trust in the health sector had already been eroded and called for legal action against all politicians and public officials responsible for regulatory failures linked to the incident.
by Chaminda Silva ✍️
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