Former Member of Parliament Udaya Gammanpila has called for legal action against Speaker of Parliament Jagath Wickramaratne, claiming that an internal investigative report contains evidence of multiple allegations of corruption and misuse of public resources.
Addressing the media, Gammanpila said he had received a copy of the report, which he claimed was commissioned by the Speaker to investigate how confidential information relating to allegations against him had been leaked to the media. According to Gammanpila, the findings of that investigation instead contained evidence supporting 10 allegations against the Speaker.
Among the allegations raised, Gammanpila claimed the Speaker was misusing state property by occupying a government bungalow on Loris Road while the official Speaker's Residence continued to be maintained at public expense. He also alleged that eight members of the Speaker's personal staff remain attached to the official residence despite the Speaker not living there, resulting in a monthly salary cost of approximately Rs. 760,000.
Gammanpila further alleged that two individuals beyond the retirement age had been appointed to the Speaker's personal staff, including a 73-year-old appointed as a room attendant. He also claimed that a government bungalow had been allocated to the Speaker's personal secretary near the residence on Loris Road and alleged that a vehicle from Parliament's fleet had been assigned to a media division that does not exist.
He also accused the Speaker of claiming two fuel allowances—one in his capacity as Speaker and another as the Member of Parliament for Polonnaruwa—in violation of a Cabinet decision permitting only a single fuel allowance.
Gammanpila said he intends to hand over the report to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption next week and called for an investigation into the allegations. He claimed the evidence contained in the report warranted legal action under the Public Property Act.
