Speaker Karu Jayasuriya yesterday announced that President Maithripala Sirisena has informed that the report of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Bond issue will be presented to Parliament on January 17.
The Speaker reading out a letter received from Secretary to the President Austin Fernando said the President has instructed to send 26 copies of the bond report to Parliament by next Wednesday.
The letter also informed that the copies of the Bond report were handed over to the Central Bank Governor Dr Indrajit Coomaraswamy and the Committee to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption Director General Sarath Jayamanne yesterday morning to implement its recommendations.
The letter further said the Presidential Secretariat has informed that it does not have the 34 reports submitted by the PRECIFAC.The Secretary to the President has informed the Speaker that he would get the copies of those reports from the PRECIFAC Secretary and send them to Parliament.
Leader of the House,Minister Lakshman Kiriella wrote to the President requesting the Bond report along with the 34 PRECIFAC reports. Speaker Jayasuriya had also made the request orally.
The Speaker after reading out the letter told the House that he intends to meet the Secretary to the President and the Attorney General to discuss the matter.The Speaker however appealed not to incite a clash between the Executive and Legislature as a result of this issue.
Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe told Parliament that he could not agree with the Attorney General’s position on the issue, adding that not tabling the report is against the law and traditions. He invited the other Party Leaders to join in the meeting with the AG to collectively remind him of the powers of Parliament.
The Prime Minister said he would meet with President Maithripala Sirisena in the evening and inform the opinions raised in Parliament and urge him to present the report to the House at the earliest. “Since I am also a character in the entire saga, I too am interested in knowing the content of the report. Parliament has done everything in its capacity over the Bond issue,” he added.
Chief Opposition Whip and JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake questioned as to how could the Presidential Secretariat inform that it does not have the 34 reports handed over to the President by the PRECIFAC. “The reports were handed over to the President. It is irresponsible to claim that the reports are not with the Secretariat,” he added.