Courtesy The Daily Mirror

President Maithripala Sirisena today signed the gazette notification to institute a five-member Presidential Commission to inquire into allegations of fraud that taken place in SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering (Pvt.) Limited and the Mihin Lanka Airlines from January 1, 2006 to January 31, 2018.

“The gazette will be issued tonight,” he said while speaking at a meeting in Hettipola today.

Retired Supreme Court Judge Anil Gunarathne, Appeal Court Judge Gamini Rohan Amarasekara, retired High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe, former Deputy Auditor General Mallawaarachchige Don Anthony Harold and Director General of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board Wasantha Jayaseeli Kapugama have been appointed as members of the commission, according to the President’s Media Division.

The investment by the General Treasury, Bank of Ceylon, People’s Bank and any other financial sources in SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka Airlines, termination of the agreement between SriLankan and Emirates Airlines and recruitment, promotions, transfers, retirement and appointment of Directors, Chief Executives, Chairmen and senior management of these three institutions were among the 10 point term of reference of the Commission.

President Sirisena addressing the Hettipola gathering further said that those who were involved in large scale frauds would be exposed and it would not be possible for them to escape.

I am taking this course of actions for the sake of the country and people should be prepared for a new culture of politics by bring an end to the corrupt political environment,” the President said.

He said by appointing the commission, the procedure to punish corrupt politicians was begun after the government of the late Prime Minister Bandaranaike and he would pursue his policy to to save the country from fraud.

There were extremely corrupt ministers in the last government but no action were taken against them by the then government,” he said.

But as a leader who is aware of the people’s sufferings and pains and as one who understand living standards of poor people I will ensure my promises fulfilled in punishing those involved in defrauding peoples’ money and I will leave office after punishing thieves and enacting the necessary laws to punish those who plunder the wealth of the people,” he said.