• Comm. denies being concerned with CC process of appointing new commissioners 

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has claimed that no member of the commission has accepted any bribe as was alleged by Minister of Justice and Constitutional Reforms President’s Counsel (PC) Dr. Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (26), CIABOC Chairperson retired Supreme Court Judge Justice Shanthi Eva Wanasundara PC said that no such incident had been reported thus far and that therefore, an investigation into such would not be necessary. She added that she has not been notified of such an incident in her capacity as the chairperson of the commission. Speaking further, she denied the allegation, claiming that the commission would have launched an investigation into the incident if the commission had been informed of such.

Speaking in Parliament last week, Dr. Rajapakshe PC alleged that a member of the said commission had reportedly accepted a bribe for filing legal action against the newly enacted Anti-Corruption Act when it was in the pre-enactment Bill stage. 

Dr. Rajapakshe made this remark in response to a ruling by Speaker of the Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana over the allegation by him and Government Parliamentarian Mahindananda Aluthgamage that the Constitutional Council (CC) had failed to appoint members to the said commission. “The bribe has come in the form of a promotion for filing legal action against the then-Anti-Corruption Bill,” Dr. Rajapakshe alleged.

Meanwhile, the CIABOC said that it has not made any intervention regarding the appointment of new commissioners since the power to do so is vested with the Legislature. In the wake of numerous parties, including several MPs, claiming that the CIABOC has interrupted the CC regarding the appointment of new commissioners, Wanasundara PC said that given the remaining months of the incumbent commission’s tenure, they (the commissioners) have not concerned themselves over such a move. 

Wanasundara said that the CC has the power to appoint new members and that commissioners are required to perform the duties of their positions until the CC appoints new members to replace them. When The Daily Morning contacted CIABOC Additional Director General Sunethra Jayasinghe, she said that the CC takes time to appoint members although they have already appointed new members to other commissions, adding that otherwise, the CIABOC has no issues in this regard. She further stated that neither the commissioners nor the officers in the CIABOC have made any intervention to impede new appointments since their authority does not surpass the power of the Legislature. Therefore, she said that the incumbent commission has a legitimate right to hold its position until a new commission is appointed.

Last week, Aluthgamage claimed in Parliament that the CC has failed to appoint members to the CIABOC. In response to that statement, Dr. Rajapakshe alleged that the members of the CIABOC have written to the CC, threatening all 10 members. He questioned how CIABOC members could threaten the CC.