Let Parliament decide on probe on hacking of dollars 2.5 million: Free Lawyers

Colombo, April 23 (Daily Mirror) - Whilst revealing that a sum of US dollars 2.5 million which the government sent to a certain donor as a payment of an installment has been hacked on December 31 last year, the Free Lawyers Organisation yesterday urged Speaker to get Parliament to come up with a proper investigation mechanism.

President Free Lawyers Organization Maithiri Gunaratne in a letter addressed to Speaker. Maithiri Gunaratne urged him to get Parliament to draw up a mechanism to probe the matter.

Gunaratne in his letter stressed that Parliament should come up with a mechanism to probe the matter as the legislature hold power over finances as per the constitution.

" Additional treasury secretaries or any senior officers attached to ministry of Finance are not fit to probe the matter" he said . He recalled that the government had appointed a committee comprising an additional treasury secretary and two other deputy directors have been appointed on March 24 to look into the matter.

" The transaction should have been handled by the Department of External Resources " he said in the letter.

" The government of Sri Lanka had to pay a total sum of dollars 22.9 million while an installment of dollars 2.5 due on December 31. This amount had gone into the hands of a third party which is believed to be a hacker" he also said in the letter.