Agri Ministry building not specifically selected: PM

• Says three buildings were selected, former Agri Minister told to pick most suitable
• PCoI draws attention to P’ment Sectoral Committees nor PSC being housed in former Ministry premises  
• Questions why Govt. could not expand existing building for use, PM says insufficient space 
• Tweets PCoI second commission he was present at, pledges to ensure accountability    

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday said that three buildings were earmarked to be evaluated to house the Agriculture Ministry when he appeared before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) and emphasised the controversial D.P.A. Jayasinghe building had not been superficially selected on his instruction.   

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday appeared before the PCoI and provided statements for five hours on Cabinet approval over the controversial lease of D.P.A. Jayasinghe building in Rajagiriya which currently houses the Agriculture Ministry. 

The Prime Minister was called to give statements twice yesterday. The PM told the PCoI that the decision to house Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) functions and offices at the vacated Agriculture Ministry premises had been delayed and had not been implemented in the expected time frame.

His statement came after the Chair of the PCoI brought to his attention to the point that the proposed reason to rehouse the Agriculture Ministry was due to the need to house the PSC was not met until May, four years after the Agriculture Ministry moved to the D.P.A. Jayasinghe building in Rajagiriya.

The Agriculture Ministry had vacated its building in Battaramulla in 2015 after the Prime Minister had put forward a Cabinet proposal to use the building for the activities of 17 Parliamentary Sectoral Oversight Committees.

Subsequently, the Ministry had then leased a building owned by the D.P.A Jayasinghe Company by paying a controversial monthly rent of Rs. 21.5 million. ​

The PM further told the PCoI that he had not specifically directed then Agriculture Minister Duminda Dissanayake to only evaluate the D. P. A. Jayasinghe building, pointing out that three venues were under consideration and that Dissanayake had been tasked to pick the most suitable venue and expedite the process. “I asked him to go check the venues and make a choice soon on a suitable building due to the delays,” the PM said.

Wickremesinghe’s remarks came after he was questioned on a Cabinet paper where Minister Dissanayake had referred to the PM’s advice to visit and evaluate the controversial building for the requirement.

​Wickremesinghe was also questioned about why the full extent of the Agriculture Ministry property, which was more than 30 hectares, was not utilised to build an expanded facility to meet the Ministry’s needs. 

The Committee also grilled the PM on why floor space available at a Ministry of Defence building in Battaramulla was not utilised to house the Agriculture Ministry instead of seeking to lease a non-State property. The Prime Minister pointed out that the Agriculture Ministry had needed 55,000 sq. feet of floor space for the Ministry needs.

Following his visit to the commission, the PM tweeted: “I provided evidence at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) investigating fraud and corruption this morning. This is the second independent commission that I have appeared before in my official capacity as Prime Minister. We will continue to ensure accountability.”