JICA scandal: Bar Council to officially request BASL President’s resignation today

The Bar Council of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL) is expected to officially request BASL President Kaushalya Nawaratne PC to resign from his position today. According to sources, the Bar Council is set to issue a letter with this request within the day.

The Bar Council on Saturday also decided that Nawaratne should not further exercise the powers and functions of the President of the BASL.

This decision follows the findings of a five-member Special Committee investigating the alleged misappropriation of funds intended for an anti-corruption initiative funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).

The committee, led by Faisz Musthapha PC, last week determined that Nawaratne had not acted transparently regarding the contract between the BASL and JICA, thereby breaching the trust placed in him as BASL President. 

The committee concluded that, given the circumstances of the contract, the obligations imposed on the BASL, and the substantial payments made to resource persons chosen by Nawaratne, it was his duty – being in a position of trust representing the membership – to ensure transparency, if not during the contract’s negotiation, then at least immediately afterwards.

Following the release of the inquiry report, the Bar Council meeting over the weekend passed a resolution to request Nawaratne to step down from his post. 

Meanwhile, Anura Meddegoda PC was also elected as the Deputy President of the BASL to succeed Nalinda Indatissa PC who resigned from that office. The committee found that Indatissa PC had failed to exercise meaningful oversight over the process. 

However, the Special Committee found no wrongdoing by Shavindra Fernando PC and two others, including Indatissa’s niece, who were paid as resource persons under the project.