- Sajith calls for COPE Chair Prof. Bandara’s suspension from SLC probe owing to non-declaration of multiple conflicts of interest
- P’ment Secy. Gen. reportedly informs Speaker that Kanishka Bandara is Prof. Bandara’s Media Secy.
An investigation is due to be carried out into the participation of Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) Chairman and Government Parliamentarian Prof. Ranjith Bandara’s son, Kanishka Bandara, during the recent COPE meeting held with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) officials.
Accordingly, Speaker of Parliament Mahinda Yapa Abeywardana had stated in Parliament yesterday (16) that an investigation will be carried out into the participation of Prof. Bandara’s son in the said meeting.
The issue was raised in the House by the Leader of the Opposition and the main Parliamentary Opposition party, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB), Sajith Premadasa, who pointed out that Prof. Bandara’s son had “no right” to sit amongst the members of the COPE. “What right does he have to come to the COPE? And what did you all as Parliament officials do about it? I would like for you to give an answer on this now, without saying that the matter will be looked into or that it will be discussed later. Tell me, what right does the son of the COPE Chairman have to sit at a COPE meeting when not even the Opposition Leader is allowed to do so? It is a right that not even I possess. Tell me, how did he come? Is it allowed?,” Premadasa queried Speaker Abeywardana.
Premadasa further urged that the required measures be taken with regard to Prof. Bandara to be temporarily suspended as the COPE Chairman until its meetings with SLC have concluded due to a conflict of interest. Premadasa presented several documents in Parliament, evidencing the fact that Prof. Bandara serves as a consultant for SLC on the Kandy cricket campus project, apart from another consultancy firm, owned by Prof. Bandara providing its services to SLC.
He further questioned whether Prof. Bandara should be allowed to serve as the COPE Chairman at all, on account of the fact that he did not disclose his connection to SLC and continued to act as the COPE Chairman despite this possible conflict of interest.
The SJB, which raised serious concerns over Kanishka Bandara attending COPE sessions, stated that Prof. Bandara no longer has any moral right to hold that position. Speaking in Parliament yesterday, Premadasa revealed that Kanishka Bandara had attended the COPE meeting held on Tuesday (14). “I saw one person sitting in the COPE meeting in the video footage. I don’t know him, but I received a call from a foreign country and was informed that it was Prof. Bandara’s son who was sitting there. What right does he have to attend it? Is he a permanent staff member of Parliament? I would also like to ask what Parliament officials (pointing to Parliamentary Secretary General Kushani Rohanadheera) did until he came and attended the COPE meeting?”
Recalling an incident where he had been prevented from speaking at the COPE meetings, he said that it was unfair for Kanishka Bandara to be allowed to attend it. “I, being an MP and the Opposition Leader, was only allowed to attend the COPE meetings, but was not allowed to speak there. However, Prof. Bandara’s son is allowed to attend it. This is a serious violation of my privileges. How can he have a right that I, being an MP, do not have? I clearly say that Prof. Bandara no longer has a moral right to hold the position of the COPE Chairman.”
In response to Premadasa, Speaker Abeywardana said that no outsider has the right to sit in COPE sessions and that he would look into the background of the alleged incident. Later, Rohanadheera was seen informing him of something, following which the Speaker said that Prof. Bandara had informed that Kanishka Bandara was his Media Secretary.
Premadasa then queried the Speaker as to whether he could also attend the Consultative Committees with his Media Secretary and Coordinating Secretary. He further said that he had not been granted such a right and reiterated that he had also been prevented from speaking at the COPE meetings.
Commenting on the matter, Abeywardana said: “We looked into the incident of you (Premadasa) not being allowed to speak at the COPE meetings, and it is wrong.”
In June of this year (2023), Premadasa had been prevented from active participation in the COPE as the majority of its members had decided that he could only observe the proceedings. Ten members had voted in favour of the proposal that the Opposition Leader could only observe and not participate actively.