PM rejects Opposition allegations on FCID

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe on Wednesday rejected any political intervention and deliberate delays at Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) and Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption affecting the investigation now underway.

The FCID and the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption started under the new Government with little resources has performed well during a short period of time but will continue its investigations, the Prime Minister assured Parliament in response to a question raised by Chief Opposition Whip JVP MP Anura Dissanayake.

“We have launched a system to investigate and take action against those who are responsible for fraud and corruption. However, there were no trained investigators when we established the new system. We had to send the first team to foreign countries for training. Other teams are now trained locally.

“These trained personnel have already completed investigating 44 cases and have submitted all relevant documents to the Attorney General. Based on the instruction of the Attorney General six cases are now at courts. Other cases await instructions from the Attorney General. Police Crime Division will take action based on these instructions. Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption is also conducting investigation and their report will be tabled in the Parliament once completed,” said Wickremesinghe.

However, MP Dissanayake who disagreed with the Prime Minister brought up a recent letter instructing the immediate arrest of some State officers and the delayed actions due to alleged political intervention. 

“I have a letter Attorney General sent to the chief of the FCID on last 18th revealing some fraud at Tourist Board. According to this letter, Attorney General has instructed immediate arrest of six people, to note their statements, and to produce them before the court of law under the Public Property Act. One of the officers is now attached to the Prime Minister’s Office. Regardless of this letter, action was not taken,” charged MP Dissanayake.

In response, the Prime Minister said: “Five of these people are State officers who brought the case before the respective ministers and the President. These officers claim to have taken the actions as State officers even though it is controversial. As a result, now the State officers have started to sign a petition. We have brought this issues to the Attorney General. We have no political intervention but Police take action. Sometimes they could be arrested according to the instructions of the Attorney General.”

Rejecting the claims of the Prime Minister on the non-existent reports of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption MP Dissanayake said: “The FCID should send the files to Temple Trees or to the Presidential Secretariat to pre-select the files which need to be investigated. This is how we see a political intervention.

“As far as I know, Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption has submitted three reports to the President. The first report is about an incident in Negombo. The report clearly states the name of a former Member of Parliament. The second report is about the ITN advertisements. We saw many people taken to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate Serious Acts of Fraud and Corruption.”