By Ruwan Weerakoon
(Lanka-e-News -20 Oct 2026,11.40 P.M.) A highly reliable source within the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) says investigators have gathered sufficient evidence against Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne and are close to completing the inquiry, including statements from Parliament staff. Once the Commission’s legal division finalises its consultation, the Speaker will be summoned to record a statement. The source indicated that he could be arrested at that point.
The inquiry is registered as AC/0356/2026 B-206. A senior CIABOC official said the Speaker faces accusations on eight counts, based on a complaint lodged by Parliament’s Deputy Secretary General, Chaminda Kularatne.
Dual fuel allowances and vehicle misuse: drawing two fuel allowances (as Speaker and as a District MP) and exceeding his official vehicle allocation.
1) Two official residences: occupying the Rajamalwatte residence and a government apartment in Colombo at the same time, and transferring state furniture without authorisation.
2) Misuse of Parliament’s resources: deploying equipment of Parliament’s Media Division for personal staff.
Free meals: private staff allegedly obtaining lunch on Parliament’s accounts without payment.
3) Unlawful appointment: appointing an investigation officer unlawfully and providing him with payments, food, and transport.
RTI obstruction: refusing to provide information sought under the Right to Information Act in an attempt to conceal wrongdoing.
4) Interference in staff administration: unlawfully intervening in administrative and disciplinary matters of parliamentary staff.
The Investigation So Far
CIABOC has taken custody of administrative, transport and financial records from Parliament and has recorded statements from parliamentary officials, including:
Ms. Chintha Bulathsinhala, Deputy Director
Mr. Rohitha Pathmasiri, Assistant Director (Finance)
Mr. Lochana Samaranayake, Transport Officer
Mr. Pasan Athukorala, Manager, Speaker’s Official Residence
Mr. M.S.B. Cooray, Residence Staff (required to submit the clothing/linen delivery ledger)
Residence staff: Mr. N.A. Pradeep Bandara, Mr. S.K. Sirisena, Mr. S.S. Soysa, Mr. K.L. Fernando, Mr. M.M.R. Kamalraj, Mr. J.R. Hettigoda and Mr. D.S.M. Perera
A very senior CIABOC officer told this writer there is no political pressure from the Government or anywhere else. He said that in the past the Commission faced heavy political influence over investigations and indictments. Indictments require the signatures of all three commissioners, and on some occasions one or two refused to sign under political pressure. Today, he said, the Commission is “100% transparent,” and the present commissioners scrutinise files carefully and sign indictments.
During his presidential campaign, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake promised that no Minister, portfolio-holder or parliamentarian found corrupt would escape the law. The question now is whether that promise will hold when the person in question is the Speaker of Parliament.
Political figures accused of misusing public funds are prosecuted under overlapping anti-graft laws, including the Offences Against Public Property Act, which carries 1 to 20 years’ imprisonment and threefold fines, and the Anti-Corruption Act, No. 9 of 2023.
Offence: Section 111 covers a public official using power, office, or official information to secure an undue benefit for himself or others, or to cause undue harm to the State.
Penalty: up to 10 years’ rigorous imprisonment.
Threefold fine: under the Anti-Corruption (Amendment) Bill, a court must impose a fine of at least three times the value of the property or loss where property was acquired through corruption.
Bail: in practice, high-profile political figures are routinely remanded, and bail in high-value financial cases requires “exceptional circumstances,” such as life-threatening medical conditions. Political status and general health grounds are routinely rejected.
Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe was arrested and remanded over allegations of misusing more than Rs. 600 million in public funds for private foreign travel billed as official visits. Bail was denied.
Former Civil Aviation Minister Dian Jayaratna was sentenced to seven years in prison for abusing ministerial power to divert state catering funds for political rallies.
Former First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa was remanded over the alleged misuse of charity donations tied to hospital equipment.
Equal Before the Law
Every citizen is equal before the law, whatever position they hold. Politicians and bureaucrats who break the law must face the same law, without distinction.
CORRUPTION INFORMATION: Do you know of a corrupt official, organisation or individual? Tell us. All information is kept in strict confidence. Contact: [email protected]
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by (2026-10-20 19:44:04)
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