COPE meetings suspended until further notice: Speaker
Posted on November 17th, 2023
By Ajith Siriwardana and Yohan Perera Courtesy The Daily Mirror
PARLIAMENT (Daily Mirror) – The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) will not be convened until issues pertaining to its chairman is resolved, Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena announced today.
The Speaker’s announcement came after opposition MPs requested him to remove COPE Chairman Prof. Ranjith Bandara from his post.
“COPE members should resolve the issue pertaining to Professor Bandara as per the Standing Orders,” the Speaker said.
The COPE meeting scheduled for 1 p.m. today was also cancelled, the speaker announced.
Earlier, Leader of the Opposition Sajith Premadasa said a report submitted by the Sri Lanka Audit Services Association revealed that the COPE chairman had failed in his duty by refraining from issuing recommendations.
It has also been found that the Colombo Business School, headed by Professor Bandara, has reached a business deal with Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC), Premadasa said.
National Peoples Power (NPP) MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake also requested the Speaker to remove Professor Bandara from his post.
“Professor Bandara should be kept away from at least the probe into Sri Lankan cricket,” he said.