Committee extends investigations on parliamentary misbehaviour

• During committee meeting, decides investigation to continue till next week 
• CID still to get statements from over 100 MPs 
• RTI shows damages cost Rs. 375,000
• Cost to be claimed from Sri Lanka Insurance   
  
   

By Ashwin Hemmathagama – Our Lobby Correspondent

The Committee appointed to investigate the unruly behaviour of lawmakers met yesterday in Parliament, but as they were unable to reach a decision on disciplinary action against the MPs responsible for damages, the Committee has extended the investigation till 3 January 2019.

Deputy Speaker and Chair of Committees J.M. Ananda Kumarasiri told Daily FT that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has already obtained statements from 100 people, including the lawmakers and Parliamentary staff present in the Chamber during the incident. 

“The CID was instructed to get assistance from the Attorney General’s Department to complete the investigation. CID will have to work together with the Attorney General’s Department and complete obtaining statements from all 225 lawmakers within a very short period. Speaker Karu Jayasuriya has also given a statement,” said the Deputy Speaker.

During the Committee meeting held on 12 December, it was decided to use television footage, in addition to CCTV recordings, to identify the Parliamentarians responsible for the damages.

The Committee, comprising MPs representing all parties, include UPFA MP and former Speaker Chamal Rajapaksa, UPFA MP Chandrasiri Gajadeera, JVP MP Bimal Rathnayake, UNP MP R. M. Ranjith Madduma Bandara, and ITAK MP Mavai S. Senathirajah. The committee will be chaired by Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri.

Replacing the Speaker’s microphone unit, and the repairs on iron bars fixed to isolate the Parliamentary Officers’ official room, damaged during the unruly behaviour in November, is estimated to cost Rs. 374,628.18, according to information obtained by the Daily FT through a Right to Information (RTI) application. 

The Government replaced the decade-old faulty microphone system with a purpose-built special microphone system, known as the Chairman Microphone Unit, at a cost of Rs. 124.7 million recently. During the clashes, some UPFA lawmakers were seen vandalising parts of the Chairman Microphone Unit installed at the Speaker’s table. In the absence of a suitable State institution to replace the damaged parts of this sophisticated audio system, Parliament has obtained quotations from different vendors, and have entrusted the job to Hayleys Aventura Ltd.

The repairing of the iron bars was assigned to the Department of Government Factory, and was carried out at a cost of Rs. 29,670. 

Seeking a valuation report from the Department of Valuation, Parliament intends to claim the total cost of repairs and the replacement of damaged equipment and instruments from the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation Ltd. (SLIC).

The policy obtained from the SLIC provides a total sum assured of Rs. 6,276 million over the fixtures and fittings on the main building, including water, gas installation, electrical wiring for permanent lighting, elevators, power-generating equipment, air-conditioning plants, fire detection and firefighting system, red alert system and public address system, the car park, CCTV system, master clock and telephone exchange, furniture and fittings, kitchen equipment, and the cafeterias ranging from public to VVIP.