• Complaint lodged by civil society org. against Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Bimal Rathnayake, Wasantha Samarasinghe, Kumara Jayakody, Sunil Handunnetti, Sunil Watagala
• Probe sought under Money Laundering Law

The Citizens Power against Bribery, Corruption, and Waste organisation has lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), seeking an investigation into the assets of six Cabinet and Deputy Ministers in the current National People’s Power (NPP) Government.

Speaking to The Daily Morning, President of the organisation Kamantha Thushara said that he had lodged a complaint with the CIABOC, requesting an investigation into the assets of six key figures in the current Government under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, No. 5 of 2006.

The ministers and deputy ministers against whom investigations have been requested include: Minister of Health and Mass Media and Chief Government Whip Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, Minister of Transport, Highways, Ports, and Civil Aviation and Leader of the House Bimal Rathnayake, Minister of Trade, Commerce, Food Security and Cooperative Development Wasantha Samarasinghe, Minister of Energy engineer Kumara Jayakody, Minister of Industries and Entrepreneurship Development Sunil Handunnetti, and Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Attorney Sunil Watagala.

Thushara said that the CIABOC had accepted his complaint, adding that he was hopeful that investigations would begin in the same way that the commission had initiated probes against Opposition politicians accused of acquiring assets and properties through illegal means.

Attempts to contact the NPP General Secretary and Government MP Dr. Nihal Abeysinghe proved futile.

Several parties, including ministers, deputy ministers, and parliamentarians have now submitted their assets and liabilities declarations to the CIABOC. 

On social media, discussions have surfaced regarding the properties owned by certain Government politicians. However, speaking at the Cabinet of Ministers media briefing, Dr. Jayatissa said on Tuesday (16) that the allegations stemmed from the very declarations submitted by politicians themselves, adding that they would be able to prove the sources of their earnings.