• Request for certified info comes 24 hours after Kularatne filed a complaint with the CIABOC

 A high-stakes administrative battle is taking place within Parliament as the Speaker of the House, Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, and the suspended Deputy Secretary-General of Parliament and Chief of Staff, attorney Chaminda Kularatne, trade allegations involving the misuse of State resources and personal vendettas.

On Tuesday (3), a formal letter containing 15 detailed inquiries was dispatched to the Secretary-General of Parliament under the signature of the Speaker’s Private Secretary. The request for "certified information" comes just 24 hours after Kularatne filed a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against the Speaker on Monday (2), The Daily Morning learns. 

The letter, sent by the Speaker’s office, seeks official data regarding vehicle use, fuel allowances and departmental spending. 

The inquiries concern the following: The number of vehicles allocated to the Speaker and their approved fuel allowance; on what basis the decisions regarding the allocation of fuel for those vehicles was made; on what date (which Parliament) was the state van (registration number WP NC 4923), which is allocated to the Speaker’s media unit, provided to that unit; the fuel provided for the said van during previous Parliaments; 

The fuel allocated for the said van so far during the 10th Parliament; the legal background regarding the fuel allowance provided to the Speaker in his capacity as a Parliamentarian, in addition to the allowance provided to him as the Speaker; the information available regarding the fuel allowances provided to the Speakers of the Eighth and Ninth Parliaments in their capacity as MPs; 

From which Parliament onwards was the media equipment for the Speaker’s media unit obtained; how many staff members were employed in the Speaker’s media unit during the previous Parliament and what equipment was allocated to them; how the payments for the investigating officer conducting the preliminary inquiry into the Deputy Secretary General has been approved, and the legal procedure followed therein; 

How much has been spent on the investigating officer’s behalf and has an official vehicle from the Parliament vehicle pool been allocated to him and has a fuel allowance been provided for it; what were the allowances paid to the investigating officers in previous instances where preliminary inquiries were conducted regarding Parliamentary officials; has the Parliamentary Staff Advisory Committee taken a decision to convert the Speaker’s official residence to a Centre for Parliamentary Studies and Research and the progress regarding such; 

What is the method of charging for the official residence provided to the Speaker by the Public Administration Ministry, the amount and who pays the electricity and water bills; and how much is deducted from the salary of the Speaker’s Private Secretary for his/her meals, how much is deducted from the Speaker’s salary for his own meals, and has the Speaker obtained meals from the Catering Department for any other person, exceeding the meal allocation for one person.

Kularatne alleged that his suspension on 23 January 2026 was the result of "personal animosity" rather than professional misconduct.

 Kularatne’s CIABOC complaint points to a private incident in the Speaker’s lunch room on 18 June of last year (2025) as the true catalyst for the move against him. Kularatne has further alleged that the Speaker utilised three vehicles despite an entitlement of two, specifically alleging that the aforementioned van was used for personal purposes for over six months. 

The complaint alleges the Speaker claimed fuel allowances meant for a Polonnaruwa District MP (approximately 568 litres) alongside his Speaker’s allowance, allegedly gaining Rs. 2 million unlawfully.

Claims also include the unauthorised use of the Parliament’s high-value media equipment for personal promotion and a discrepancy in meal costs, where the Speaker’s staff allegedly paid only Rs. 150 for meals valued at Rs. 900.

Despite these claims, the Government has remained firm on the grounds for Kularatne’s removal. Official statements maintain the suspension followed an inquiry which determined that Kularatne had obtained his high-ranking position by providing false information regarding his qualifications and had unlawfully claimed salary entitlements.

When contacted by The Daily Morning, Kularatne did not wish to be quoted on the same while the Speaker's office, when contacted, stated that it is not possible to speak to the Speaker’s Media Secretary or Private Secretary at the time. The Parliamentary Secretary General Kushani Rohanadheera had not responded at the time of going to press on whether she had received the said letter.