Parliament to table Bond, PRECIFAC reports next week

Thursday, 18 January 2018 00:52 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Skandha Gunasekara

The report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into the Central Bank scam along with the 34 reports of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption (PRECIFAC) will be tabled in Parliament on 23 January.

Speaker Karu Jayasuriya, addressing a media briefing at the Parliamentary complex, said that Parliament had received 26 copies of the Bond report while soft copy was available online. http://www.presidentsoffice.gov.lk/?p=4978.

“The President has kept his word and sent us 26 copies of the Bond report and all are in English.

We have also received a single copy each of the final reports of the 34 investigations carried out by the PRECIFAC. It is our aim to translate and print copies of the report so that it can be tabled in Parliament and handed over to MPs as soon as possible. We have requested that 300 copies of the Bond report are printed to provide to MPs and journalists,” Speaker Jayasuriya said, adding that the Presidential Secretary had informed him that a copy of the Bond report was available online on its official website for public to view.

A Party Leaders’ meeting would be held on 22 January at 9.30 am, Speaker Jayasuriya said, where it would be decided on when and what time the Parliament would debate the Bond report.

Furthermore, Speaker Jayasuriya revealed that the final draft of the revised Standing Orders as well as the Code of Conduct for MPs had been finalised. “The final draft of the newly revised Standing Orders has been completed. It was last revised in 1993. The Code of Conduct for Parliamentarians is also ready. We hope to present them both to Parliament on the 23 when Parliament meets next,” Speaker Jayasuriya said.

Responding to queries from the media regarding the bloody brawl that erupted in Parliament last week, the Speaker said that he had received a comprehensive report of the incident, adding: “I will study the report as well as CCTV footage and will refer the matter to the Parliamentary Privileges Committee.”