Cabinet anti-corruption subcommittee to be abolished: PM tells Parliament

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday told Parliament the Cabinet subcommittee which established the Financial Crimes Investigation Division would be terminated.

Answering a question raised by UPFA Kandy District MP Keheliya Rambukwella during the 2017 Budget debate, the Prime Minister informed Parliament that the subcommittee had not held a meeting for almost a year therefore it would be abolished, leaving the fraud complaint secretariat, which could channel the complaints to the Police.

MP Rambukwella said the Cabinet had appointed a subcommittee which later established the FCID. The FCID was to receive instructions from the Premier. 

Denying Rambukwella’s statement that his office had been instructing the FCID, the Prime Minister said a gazette had been published to enable the channelling of complaints received by the Police to the FCID. 

“Therefore we will abolish the subcommittee and let the Secretariat continue,” said Wickremesinghe.