Double whammy for Kumara Jayakody Corruption allegations, contempt of court charges await him

By JAMILA HUSAIN   

In a shocking turn of events, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has been pushed into an uncomfortable spot with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery Or Corruption (CIABOC) preparing to file action against Energy Minister Kumara Jayakody over allegations of misappropriation of funds during his tenure at the Fertiliser Corporation in 2015.   

To make matters worse, a group of opposition politicians and civil society activists are also preparing to file a contempt of court case against Jayakody for a remark he made against a judge in a recent interview he did with a private television channel. If found guilty in either case, Jayakody could face serious charges.   

Minister Jayakody is a man very close to President Dissanayake and he is considered one of the President’s closest friends for many years. In fact, he was introduced to the Fertiliser Corporation by Anura Kumara Dissanayake when Dissanayake was the Minister of Agriculture in the UPFA government under Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.  >>A2