Former Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, Chaminda Kularatne, has filed a writ petition before the Court of Appeal, seeking to nullify the decision to interdict him from duty without a fair inquiry, a reporter said.
The Speaker of Parliament, the Secretary General of Parliament, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa, Leader of the House and Minister Bimal Rathnayake, and 14 others have been named as respondents in the petition.
The petitioner claims that, while serving as the Deputy Secretary General of Parliament, he was suspended from duty, with effect from January 23, 2026.
Kularatne further stated that a charge sheet was issued against him on February 2, and he has strongly denied all allegations included in the charge sheet.
Accordingly, the petitioner has requested the Court of Appeal to issue a writ petition to nullify both the letter of suspension issued against him and the charge sheet.
In addition, he has sought an interim injunction preventing disciplinary action being taken against him on the basis of what he describes as an illegal charge sheet.
Attorney-at-Law Rukshan Senadheera and President’s Counsel Sanjeeva Jayawardena had appeared on behalf of the petitioner, Chaminda Kularatne.
Kularatne was suspended from his duties with effect from January 23. The decision to suspend him was taken by the Parliament Staff Advisory Committee (SAC), chaired by Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne.
The suspension is reportedly linked to alleged irregularities relating to Kularatne’s appointment to the position.
On February 2, the suspended Deputy Secretary General of Parliament and Chief of Staff filed a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), alleging corruption by Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne.
In his complaint, Kularatne accused the Speaker of several violations, including the use of official vehicles beyond the entitled limit, the alleged unlawful receipt of two fuel allowances, and the use of two official residences.
Subsequently, on February 5, SJB MP Harshana Rajakaruna informed Parliament that the Speaker’s Private Secretary had sent a letter to the Secretary-General of Parliament seeking information related to the complaint.
On February 11, a group of Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Members of Parliament lodged a complaint with the Bribery Commission, alleging that the Private Secretary to the Speaker was acting in a manner that interfered with investigations into a complaint previously filed against the Speaker of Parliament.
In their complaint, the SJB MPs stated that the Speaker’s Private Secretary had informed the Secretary-General of Parliament to submit a report to the Speaker regarding matters raised in the earlier complaint.
