High Posts Committee blocks Vijitha Bandara Herath’s diplomatic posting

Colombo, Sept. 30 (Daily Mirror) - Following Parliament’s High Posts Committee’s demonstration and its commitment to accountability by halting the nomination of H.M.V.B. Vijitha Bandara Herath to a diplomatic posting, citing grave allegations ranging from falsification of official records to the unlawful use of a government-issued passport.

The Committee, chaired by Prime Minister Harini Amarasuriya, has already requested a comprehensive investigation report from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, emphasising the seriousness of the charges. Yet, it is deeply troubling that the Ministry has still failed to submit this report despite the fact that many allegations have already been substantiated with documentary evidence and official records.

This delay not only undermines due process but also risks eroding public trust in the state’s ability to enforce the law. The public rightly expects that this case will not be brushed aside with mere administrative censure but will instead lead to criminal prosecution against Vijitha Bandara Herath.

The allegations are serious and well-documented:

•  Unlawful possession and use of an official passport while engaged in private business, a prosecutable offence under the Immigration and Emigration Act.
•  Falsification of official records, including impersonating an Honorary Consul, and the concealment of British citizenship obtained under refugee status.
•  Misleading Parliament under oath, a gross breach of trust and a punishable offence.

Officials from the Department of Immigration have already confirmed that these actions extend far beyond misconduct and fall squarely within the realm of criminal fraud and document forgery.

The High Posts Committee has done its duty by exposing these irregularities. It is now the responsibility of the Foreign Ministry to act without delay or else it will doubt on its integrity, but also fuel the perception that the Ministry is deliberately shielding Vijitha Bandara Herath from accountability.

Failure to do so will also send a dangerous signal of tolerance for corruption — at a time when the government is striving to prove its seriousness in combating it.