Committee report on bribery allegations against Nimal Siripala handed over

The report of the committee appointed to investigate into the bribery allegations against former Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva has been handed over to the Secretary to the President.

A three-member committee of inquiry was appointed according to a request made by former minister Nimal Siripala de Silva to carry out an impartial investigation into the allegations published on social media, print and electronic media accusing him of seeking a bribe from Japan’s Taisei Corporation.

Accordingly, the committee today handed over its report to the Presidential Secretary Mr. Saman Ekanayake, the President’s Media Division said.

The chair of the committee, retired High Court Judge, Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena, PC, handed over the report to the Secretary to the President in the presence of the fellow committee members; retired Senior Deputy Inspector-General (DIG) of Police S.M. Wickremasinghe and retired Special Grade Officer of Sri Lanka Administrative Service (SLAS) S.M.G.K. Perera.

President Ranil Wickremesinghe had appointed the three-member committee on July 22 to conduct an investigation into the bribery allegations levelled by Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa against former Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva.

President Wickremesinghe appointed this committee taking into account the request made by the former minister seeking an impartial probe into the matter raised by the Opposition Leader at a parliamentary session, based on the news item published in the social, print and electronic media that a cabinet minister had demanded a bribe from Japan’s Taisei Company.
 
The committee had been instructed to submit its report on the investigation to President Wickremesinghe before July 31.

Nimal Siripala de Silva had temporarily resigned from his ministerial portfolio pending the completion of the inquiry.