COPE to probe Lotus Tower Project

By Ajith Siriwardana  

The Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) yesterday decided to conduct a full-scale investigation on the alleged misappropriation of government funds on the Lotus 
Tower project.  

COPE Chairman JVP MP Sunil Handunnetti yesterday told COPE that he would summon all institutions which were involved in the construction of the Lotus Tower. Officials of institutions such as Telecommunication Regulatory Commission (TRC) would be summoned before the committee to give evidence in the probe.  

MP Handunnetti said that COPE had launched an inquiry with regard to the Lotus Tower project on June 22, 2014 and added that a special report prepared by the Auditor General on the Lotus Tower was presented to parliament on April 1, 2019.   COPE Chairman Handunnetti said that the Auditor General had investigated various aspects of the Lotus Tower covering stages ranging from the planning stage to construction stage of the tower. He also said COPE would be able to initiate an investigation and complete it within a short period of time,   COPE members Sujeewa Senasinghe and Minister Rauff Hakim, who were present at the COPE meeting yesterday stressed the need to launch an inquiry and fix a date to commence the probe immediately.    

AG’s report on Lotus Tower was presented to Parliament on April 1, 2019