Sajith to testify before PCoI on Monday

Minister of Housing, Construction and Cultural Affairs Sajith Premadasa will provide a statement today to the police unit and testify before the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCoI) to investigate corruption of the current administration on Monday (23).

He will provide a statement on recruiting a large number of graduates and non-graduates to the National Housing Development Authority (NHDA) on a contractual basis at the beginning of this year without a cadre requirement or proper training.

During the earlier proceedings, PCoI observed that appointment of 2,300 persons to the NHDA have taken place by exceeding the approved cadre requirement.

Providing evidence at the Commission, Additional Manager - Human Resources, NHDA Lalith Edirisinghe said that the directions to recruit these people were received via email.

"In September 2018 the Ministry appointed 32 employees to several areas in the Hambantota District. We were asked, via email, to prepare the appointment letters in mid-January, and Minister of Housing, Sajith Premadasa handed over those appointment letters the following day," he informed the Commission.

The Presidential Commission was also informed that the NHDA has not followed proper tender procedures in certain matters and thereby it had allowed officials to exploit situations.

The NHDA is under Housing Minister Sajith Premadasa. The Progressive Workers Union lodged a complaint in February 2019, with the police unit attached to the Presidential Commission. (Yoshitha Perera)