Video: Bribery Commission delivers judgement in its favour
12 February 2014 01:40 pm
The Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) said today the Bribery Commission had acted in an arbitrary manner and in violation of natural justice when it dismissed the complaint against the Bribery Commissioner Jagath De Silva Balapatabendi.
JVP politburo member Sunil Handunethti told journalists after visiting the Bribery Commission that though he had made the complaint, he was not informed of the decision or the fate of the inquiry.
“I am the complainant and I was only made aware of this decision through the media. The Commission did not call me for an inquiry to check what I have to say. Instead it held a one-sided inquiry and decided not to proceed against the Bribery Commissioner,” he said in a letter to the BC. “By trying to portray that the complaint was false, the Commission is compelling the people not to complain against those holding high office.”
Mr. Handunnetti said the “sham inquiry” was conducted in completely biased and partial manner.
“A member of the commission has decided that there is no reason to proceed. Isn’t this a clear case of conflict of interest because the allegations were against the Chairman of this very Commission” he asked.
Mr. Handunnetti said he visited the commission to ascertain the accuracy of the recent media reports about the dismissal of the petition.
“The actions of the commission set a bad precedent for any complaints against civil servant in this country. I wanted to know how they arrived at this decision and if there was a formal inquiry on the complaint before it was dismissed. The Commission didn’t provide me with a single document today, but I hope sanity prevails,” he said.
The JVP in a complaint against the Bribery Commissioner said he had received kickbacks from a judgment he had delivered as a judge of the Supreme Court.
It alleged that the Bribery Commissioner had tampered with the documents at the RMV regarding the controversial vehicle.
Earlier the UNP also alleged that the Bribery Commissioner had received ‘kickbacks’ following the release of a consignment of vehicles.