What Happened to War Cram
By Shamindra Ferdinando-January 27, 2015, 12:00 pm
Housing and Samurdhi Minister Sajith Premadasa has engaged two internationally renowned auditing firms, Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers to probe Housing and Samurdhi portfolios previously held by National Freedom Front (NFF) leader Wimal Weerawansa and former SLFP National Organiser Basil Rajapaksa, respectively.
A senior spokesperson for the Housing and Samurdhi Ministry told The Island that Ernst & Young and PricewaterhouseCoopers would probe Housing and Samurdhi portfolios, respectively.
Responding to a query, the official said that they had assured Minister Premadasa that the projects would be carried out free of charge.
Minister Premadasa said that the investigation was meant to identify those who had been responsible for waste, corruption as well as irregularities so that legal action could be taken against them.
The housing ministry and two institutions namely the Building Department and the government factory coming under the purview of that ministry would be investigated by Ernst & Young, the spokesperson said. The official said that altogether all institutions which had been placed under the Ministry of Construction, Engineering Services, Housing and Common Amenities would be probed by the same audit firm.
The official said that all institutions that had been under the then Minister Basil Rajapaksa would be probed by PricewaterhouseCoopers. Some of the worst irregularities had taken place in the Divineguma project handled by Basil Rajapaksa, he said. Several institutions had been brought under Divineguma in January last year and placed under the purview of the then Minister Basil Rajapaksa, he said.
The previous government passed the Divineguma Bill by a majority of 117 votes.
