- Cites irregularities concerning parking fees, public toilets
The Citizens’ Power Against Bribery, Corruption and Waste organisation has lodged a complaint with the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) appointed to investigate alleged irregularities at the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), alleging a series of financial irregularities and corruption concerning the Council.
Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (17), the organisation's President Kamantha Thushara said that it had made a verbal complaint to the Commission, claiming that companies engaged in collecting parking fees on behalf of the CMC had defaulted on payments amounting to nearly Rs. 260 million. It alleged that although large sums had been collected from the public, the Council had not properly received the revenue due it.
He further alleged that public toilet facilities operated under the CMC are not being properly maintained, despite crores of Rupees having been collected from the public over time. He claimed that these payments had instead benefited associates of certain Municipal Councillors, and that the Council itself had not received the full income generated.
Thushara went on to charge that rent and assessment taxes due from shops owned by the CMC within the City have also not been properly recovered. "Fraud relating to these properties has not been addressed. Even the taxes due from star class hotels operating within the CMC area have also not been collected in full."
He added that the organisation had sought information on the above matters under the Right to Information Act, but that the relevant information had not been provided by the CMC. He claimed that both the political authorities and certain officials appear to be involved in the alleged irregularities.
The complaint was made to the Presidential Commission appointed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to investigate allegations of corruption and other irregularities at the CMC during the period from 2010 to last year (2025).
The Commission was established under Section 2 of the Commissions of Inquiry Act, No. 17 of 1948, as amended, by Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2469/08 dated 30 December 2025. Chaired by former High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe, the Commission also includes E.R.M.S.H. Ekanayake of the Accountants’ Service (Grade I) and a former Senior Superintendent of Police D.S. Wickramasinghe.
Under its mandate, the Commission is empowered to call for and receive public complaints and information relating to allegations of corruption, fraud, the criminal breach of trust, the abuse or misuse of power, the misuse of Government resources, unlawful recruitments, procurement violations, irregularities in leasing movable and immovable properties, and legal actions or settlements carried out outside the due process. It may also examine serious losses or damage caused to State assets or revenue.