Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe left the Presidential Commission of Inquiry a short while ago, after recording a statement with the Commission.

The Prime Minister arrived at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the allegations of corruption and financial misappropriations of state institutions in BMICH earlier this morning (16).

The Presidential Commission of Inquiry will reconvene at 01.15 pm this afternoon.

The Premier was recently issued summons to testify over a complaint regarding an irregularity that had occurred during the time when the Agricultural Ministry was housed at a private building in Rajagiriya.

Wickremesinghe had initially been asked to appear before the commission on September 12, however, the PM had notified the commission via his secretary that he would not be able to testify on that day due to prior commitments. 

Accordingly, the PM was given another date and the Commission had informed the prime minister to appear before the panel at 9.30 am today instead.

Several officials who had testified regarding the probe, including former Agriculture Minister MP Duminda Dissanayake, have told the Commission that the prime minister had obtained the Cabinet’s approval on the 21st of September 2015 to take over building named ‘Govijana Mandiraya’ which had previously housed the Agricultural Ministry.