Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe today accused DEW Gunasekara of deceiving the country through his resent comments and called for the former COPE Chairman’s “Jekyll and Hyde role” to be exposed to the country. 

The UNP leader stated that discussing in public the content of the Committee of Public Enterprises (COPE) report, which included facts pertaining to a probe on the controversial Central Bank bond issuance, after the Parliament has been dissolved, was a violation of parliamentary privileges. 

Last week, Gunasekara held a press conference in Colombo and spoke regarding the report which was not submitted to the Parliament due to its sudden dissolution. 

However, speaking during a discussion at the UNP headquarters ‘Sirikotha’ this morning (07 July), Wickremesinghe slammed the remarks made by the former UPFA Parliamentarian. 

Wickremesinghe stated that as far as the probe into the bond issue is concerned, it was he who took the matter before the committee. “I felt Parliament must be empowered to go into this.” 

He stated that after the report of the committee appointed to investigate the bond issue was put forward to Parliament, the government had called for a debate on it. 

“In the meantime the opposition panicked and put a motion of no-confidence against the Governor of the Central Bank, which is not possible,” he said, adding that “the governor is not moved by Parliament.” 

He stated that when the no-faith motion was taken up in Parliament the Leader of the House had objected to it, but later they had all agreed on a COPE sub-committee report into the Central Bank Treasury bond issue. “We wanted a full inquiry.” 

Wickremesinghe stated that he wanted to be a witness for the sub-committee because it was the custom in other countries for the ministers and prime minister to go before the select committee and give evidence if called upon to do so.  

“I am the minister in charge and I wanted the committee also to be summoned.” This matter was taken up with the committee but there was no decision taken, he said. 

He charged that DEW Gunasekara’s statement which appeared in the papers saying that there was no need for the Prime Minister to appear before the committee was incorrect and false. 

“He has no power to decide. And the committee was more than willing to have me,” the Prime Minister said. 

He further said that once the Parliament is dissolved there ceases to be members and that only the Speaker, Leader of the Opposition and Prime Minister continue to function. 

“As a result, no one else has the authority to act on behalf of Parliament or release reports of Parliament.” 

He said that all reports, including the COPE, are under lock and key of the Parliamentary Secretary General and his deputies. Responding to Gunasekara’s comments regarding the COPE report, Wickremesinghe said that there has been no report or interim report or draft report put before the sub-committee. 

“Any report of the sub-committee must go to the main committee and only they can send it to Parliament,” he said.

The PM added that three documents were put forward by DEW Gunasekara, “which they were not prepared to accept due to various shortcomings and they wanted more time to discuss it.” 

Wickremesinghe further added that following Gunasekara’s statement certain media had targeted some members of parliament, that they were not present for the COPE sub-committee meetings. “That’s because they were not informed,” he said. 

“There was nothing to cover-up,” he asserted.

The Prime Minister charged that what DEW Gunasekara has done is a violation and contravention of section 22 of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act and that any report from that is also a contravention and is in no way covered by privilege in publication. 

Wickremesinghe said that when the new Parliament meets, his party will ask for the select committee to continue with the same members elected to go into this and other issues of the Central Bank and to report so that the country will know what has happened to the monies of the people.   

“This Jekyll and Hyde role DEW Gunasekara has played has to be exposed,” he said.

The UNP leader further said that former MP Sujeewa Senasinghe was willing to debate the subject with the former COPE Chairman on TV and expressed hope that DEW Gunasekara will accept. 

“DEW Gunasekara has deceived the country,” he said in conclusion. 

Former UNP MPs Sujeewa Senasinghe, Rosy Senanayake and Eran Wickremaratne were also present at the discussion.