Treasury Secretary should be summoned before privilege committee: Dayasiri

Colombo, May 4 (Daily Mirror) - Opposition MP Dayasiri Jayasekara is to take up in Parliament this week the dollars 2.5 million theft where he is to propose summoning of Treasury Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma before the Committee on Parliamentary Privileges.

"Power over public finances are vested with Parliament under article 148 of the constitution. Accordingly, all revenues should be credited to the consolidated fund. In addition, responsibility of settling debts lies with the consolidated fund. Funds cannot be released from this fund without the approval of the House. Therefore, releasing of dollars 2.5 million has been done outside the normal procedure. The Treasury Secretary is responsible for the issue on that score." MP Jayasekara said.

"Besides the Treasury Secretary has failed to reveal information to the Committee on Public Finance when he was summoned before it last week. With his actions, the Treasury Secretary has violated the Parliamentary Privileges Act. Therefore, he will have to be summoned before the privileges committee," the MP added.

Also, MP Jayasekara is to raise a privilege issue in this regard in Parliament this week, Daily Mirror learns.