PM arrives to testify before Presidential Commission

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe arrived at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry probing the allegations of corruption and financial misappropriations of state institutions, a short while ago.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to testify before the commission today (16).

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 (16) 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.