The Bribery Commission has summoned former President Ranil Wickremesinghe to appear before the Commission on 17 April in connection with a statement he made regarding the arrest of MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake.
The Commission will question Wickremesinghe over remarks he made in a special statement concerning the arrest and remanding of the Badulla District MP, who is facing corruption charges over the alleged misuse of Provincial Council funds.
In his statement, Wickremesinghe said that during his tenure as Prime Minister, the Treasury Secretary issued a circular — with the approval of then-President Maithripala Sirisena — prohibiting the placement of Provincial Council funds in fixed deposit accounts. He noted that funds were required to be spent within the financial year or returned to the Treasury.
He added that MP Chamara Sampath, who was then the Uva Province Chief Minister, and other provincial leaders were informed of this decision, leading to the withdrawal of such deposits.
He further questioned whether the recent legal actions were politically motivated, highlighting that Dassanayake remains a vocal Opposition member in Parliament.
Wickremesinghe also raised concerns about whether parliamentary privileges were being violated and called for an inquiry into the matter. (Newswire)