President’s Secretary clarifies appointment of new secretary to PRECIFAC

Secretary to President Maithripala Sirisena P. B. Abeykoon yesterday clarified the appointment of a new secretary to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry and gave reasons for not-extending the tenure of former secretary Lacille de Silva.

Abeykoon explained that the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources, and Privileges (PRECIFAC) was appointed for a period of one year in March 2015. When the period of the commission was extended by another year, the service periods of the president and other commissioners of the commission were also extended by one year. However, the service period of the secretary of the commission was not extended by one year. Therefore, contrary to reports published by certain media, former secretary Lacille de Silva was not removed from his post, the Secretary to the President explained.

He further said that the retired senior civil servant and former secretary of the Presidential Commission on Missing Persons H. W. Gunadasa was appointed to the post of secretary of the PRECIFAC in order to carry forward its activities in the most successful and efficient manner possible.