Bribery Commission chairman asks bribe to resign ! Cabinet decides to investigate Chairman and Director’s malpractices

(Lanka-e-News-29.July.2015, 11.30PM) The Cabinet has decided to investigate the complaints received against the chairman and Director of the anti corruption and bribery commission who are obstructing the affairs and investigations of the commission . 

The chairman of anti corruption and bribery commission , retired judge Jagath Balapatabendi  has still not tendered his resignation. It is reported he  is taking the files  meant for invertigation to his home and is not attending office . While wasting his time staying at home , he has not taken action to file legal action in the cases of corruption and bribery before him ,whose investigations have been concluded , thus  engaging in sabotage activities. One such case is that of ex minister Rohitha Abeygunawardena  alias ‘Raththaran’ against whom is a colossal Rs. 400 million corruption accusation . While action can be  filed in court as the investigations are concluded , this president of the anti corruption and bribery commission on the other hand has taken the file home , and is remaining dumbfounded, it has come to light. 

In the circumstances , the Directress general of the commission ,  Ms. Dilrukshi Dias  has decided that if Balapatabendi  does not attend to his official duties , he cannot be paid his salary.( It is to be noted that Balapatabendi is a sly  official who was collecting two salaries: one salary being his pension as a retired judge , and the other is ,  the salary and allowances from his appointment as the chairman  of the anti corruption and bribery commission ).

Following the suspension of his salary payment  , Balapatabendi had lodged a complaint with the  Human rights commission .

The Cabinet that met recently taking into consideration this neglect of duty by Balapatabendi while pocketing his salary staying at home ,  decided that action should be taken against this , for salaries ought to be paid out of public funds only to those government officials who are duly carrying out their duties. 

It is well to recall that this Balapatabendi  when he was a judge recieved a car as a gift from a company and gave  an unfair  judgment in favor of that  company .When a case was filed against him in the anti corruption and bribery commission in this connection , it was Balapatabendi who was its chairman  , and he himself  took the step to put  the case on hold without inquiring.

Similarly another complaint was made to the anti corruption and bribery commission against a Director of the  Commission ,  a former IGP Jayantha Wickremeratne.

During his period , the Commission has conducted an investigation and found him guilty ,based on that report , the recommendation was to file legal action against him , yet the last regime instead of duly following up  , appointed the suspect involved in corruption  as the Director .

After taking into consideration all the aforementioned facts , the Cabinet has decided to conduct an inquiry into the Directors of the anti corruption and bribery commission who are facing bribery and corruption charges.

Meanwhile, the chairman  of the anti corruption and bribery commission Balapatabendi had sent a message to the prime minister  that if he is to resign his post of president of the commission , he should be given a foreign envoy appointment ,that is , he had demanded a bribe to which message the prime minister had sent  the reply, “ I am not mad “

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by     (2015-07-29 22:48:43)