PRECIFAC seeks extension till 2017

Wednesday, 27 January 2016 00:35 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

By Shanika Sriyananda

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) has sent a letter to the President Maithripala Sirisena requesting an extension to its term till March 2017.

Appointed by President Sirisena, the PRECIFAC which ends its first term in mid-March, this year, has received nearly 1,000 of complaints on large scale frauds and misuse of power and public money in state institutions .

Out of approximately 1000 complaints, the PRECIFAC has referred over one fourth of complaints to the Police for further investigations.

The PRECIFAC handles over 50 cases of large scale fraud and corruption, which are going on at the moment.

The PRECIFAC has already submitted to the President, its third interim report and final report on misuse of state funds on alleged anomalies in the Negombo Lagoon development project.

Summoning former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to its public hearing over financial irregularities occurring at the Independent Television Network(ITN) during the Presidential Elections of 2015, the PRECIFAC has grilled several top brass of the former government including the former Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa and a large number of employees of several state institutions.

“Since we have to complete the on-going cases, which need lengthy interrogation, we need the government to extend our term by another year,” PRECIFAC Secretary Lacille de Silva said.

He told the Daily FT that the Commission expects the government to expand its scope including by granting more powers to investigate on-going cases of large scale frauds and corruption.

“We have sent the letter regarding this to the President yesterday and are expecting a positive response from the President,” he said.

The PRECIFAC holds its public hearings before its Commissioners – High Court Judges Padman Surasena, Amendra Seneviratna, Vikum Kaluarachchi, Gihan Kulatunga and former Auditor General B.A. Premathilake.

Referring to the actions to be taken following the recommendations of the PRECIFAC interim reports, de Silva said the PRECIFAC is waiting for President Sirisena’s instructions to take legal actions against those who were mentioned in the two reports.

“ The President will soon instruct the Commission on what to do next with regard to taking legal action to bring before the law, the culprits who were involved in massive frauds, misuse of public money and abuse of power,” he said.