JVP says UNP is doing it no favours

Friday, 25 January 2019 00:00 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake yesterday rejected United National Party (UNP) involvement in reappointing fellow MP Sunil Handunnetti as COPE Chairman as a move to fight corruption, and challenged them to produce former Central Bank Governor Arjun Mahendran if they are genuinely committed.

Challenging the Government to set an example by bringing former Central Bank Governor Arjun Mahendran to Sri Lanka from Singapore, where he is currently suspected as residing, MP Dissanayake said: “Get your Prime Minister to get Arjun Mahendran back to Sri Lanka, if you are acting in good faith and want to show that you are really committed to catch thieves.”

MP Dissanayake, who wanted a debate on the Committee of Public Enterprises (COPE) report well before the commencement of the Budget process scheduled to start in February, rejected the UNP’s involvement in reappointing of Handunnetti.

“The COPE report reveals many State-Owned Enterprises wasting public money. We need an urgent debate well before the Budget. We have also noticed the UNPers making public statements to highlight that the COPE Chairmanship was given to us in good faith. But if you take the attendance sheet of the last COPE meeting where the new Chairman was elected, a few UNP members were present when the vote was taken. The United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance lawmaker Lakshman Senevirathne proposed the name of Sunil Handunnetti. It is not the UNP that gave us the Chairmanship,” he said.

In response, Minister of Public Enterprise, Kandyan Heritage and Kandy Development and Leader of the House of Parliament Lakshman Kiriella, who agreed to provide a debate, held the current Government has no plans to sweep corruption and fraud under the carpet.

COPE lists SOE losses