PM not summoned to Presidential Commission; making voluntary appearance – Kiriella
There is an attempt to portray that Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe has been summoned before the Presidential Commission into the Treasury bond scam. The truth is otherwise as the premier has volunteered to appear before the Commission, Leader of the House, Higher Education and Highways Minister, Lakshman Kiriella told Parliament on Friday.
He was responding to Matara District Joint Opposition MP Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena, who said, during the third reading stage debate on budget proposals, that for the first time in the history, a prime minister had been summoned before a presidential commission of inquiry and that it was a disgrace.
Minister Kiriella said: “The Prime Minister goes before the commission on his own volition. He stated his willingness to go before the commission to clarify some matters with regard to his office that transpired during the commission sessions when others gave evidence.
“It was after the Prime Minister stated his wish, the commission decided to listen to him. It is unfair to portray this as summoning the Prime Minister before the Commission.”
MP Abyewardena: But that is a disgrace for the Prime Minister post. The commission would not give a verdict against the government.
Minister Kiriella: That is wrong. The Prime Minister would go there voluntarily. That is the change introduced to this country by Yahapalanaya. Would that have happened under the previous government? We are not afraid to face any investigation because we are clean. But describing this as summoning him before the commission is wrong. He is going there on his own wish.
When MP Vasudeva Nanayakkara said that Prime Minister Wickremesinghe had been “summoned by the commission”, Minister Kiriella reiterated that there is a difference between “summoning and giving evidence voluntarily”.
“The Prime Minister has set an example to the entire country. He is going their voluntarily. He issued a press release stating his wish to make any clarification, and then only the commission allocated time for him to be present there. Do not mislead the public,” Kiriella said.
(Source: The Island – By Saman Indrajith)
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there is no reason as to why ranil should not be summined to the commission for he has been compromised by his minister and arjun with some memoranda passed between ravi and arjun to confirm their claims instead of he said this and i that. regardles of as to whetherhe attends the commission exercising whatever rights he as as pm his homor whatever is left is at stake for being a liar.
iam not sure as to how arjun managed to secure his citizenship in singapore and maybe the singapore government should provide that explanation or at least provide the guidelines. afterall arjun when he left the central bank he was nothing more than a glorified cleark and most in this cadre are graduates and majendran is no exception except having some connection with the ch hierarchy.
mahendran did have connection with raratnam and so dud ranil. rajaratnams connection with the ltte was confirmed whe was brought to trial in new york and he was sentenced to 12 years prison which is stiff considering people tried for manslaighter are given lesser sentences
Of course, in addition to being prime Minister, HON RW is a citizen and he is duty bound to establish good governance by providing assistance to Commissions of Inquiry and other institutions.
Unfortunately, this Commission appears to be the brainchild of the Lilly-White leader whose cupboards are overflowing with komis and corruption.