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Friday, 25 September 2015 01:29 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
By Shanika Sriyananda
Former President and parliamentarian Mahinda Rajapaksa is likely to be summoned to the next PRECIFAC public hearing to be held at the BMICH.
A statement was recorded from Rajapaksa over an alleged complaint against him alleging that he owed money to the State-run Independent Television Network (ITN) for campaign advertisements aired ahead of the 2015 Presidential Election.
Sources said that an audit of ITN had revealed that Rajapaksa had still not paid Rs. 10.1 million for the advertisements broadcast by ITN.
A special police unit led by ASP Lalith Abeysekara, assisted by Chief Inspector Geethika Bodhipaksa, questioned the former President for an hour at his Mirihana residence last afternoon.
“He was very corporative with the investigators,” said PRECIFAC Secretary Lacille de Silva, adding that he was asked to give a statement following previous evidence given by several people over alleged malpractices that had taken place at ITN during the 2015 Presidential Election.
When asked why the team of police officers went to Rajapaksa’s residence to record a statement instead of summoning him to the PRECIFAC, De Silva said that it was the first time in Sri Lankan history that an investigation against a former Head of State in Sri Lanka was carried out.
“The country has never experienced an inquiry against a Head of State and therefore we were very flexible as we want to carry out the investigation smoothly. This helped us to conduct our investigation to the satisfaction of all parties,” he said.
De Silva said that the matter of summoning Rajapaksa before the next public hearing would be submitted to the PRECIFAC Commissioners for their approval.
He said that the ITN fiasco would be taken up at the next public hearing to be held at the BMICH before the PRECIFAC commissioners – High Court Judges Padman Surasena, Amendra Seneviratna, Vikum Kaluarachchi, Gihan Kulatunga and former Auditor General B.A. Premathilake.
Former Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella was questioned by PRECIFAC recently over financial irregularities worth of over Rs. 200 million recorded at ITN during the last presidential campaign.
According to sources, the previous Government had not settled a bill of Rs. 115 million it owed to the ITN for advertisements used in the campaign of Rajapaksa.
The PRECIFAC is also investigating another complaint regarding the return of Rs. 89 million to President Maithripala Sirisena as ITN had not carried his advertisements during the Presidential Election campaign.
“Altogether there is a loss of Rs. 200 million for ITN,” sources said.
The PRECIFAC had also questioned the Rajapaksa’s Secretary Lalith Weeratunga, former Treasury Secretary P.B. Jayasundera, UPFA parliamentarian Dullas Alahapperuma, former ITN Chairman Anura Siriwardena and former Secretary of the Ministry of Media Charitha Herath over the same allegation.
