The Joint Opposition has formally written to the Chairman of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), Justice Neil Iddawala, requesting an impartial inquiry into allegations against the Commission’s Director General, Ranga Dissanayake.
The letter says multiple complaints have surfaced accusing the Director General of conducting his duties in a biased manner. It cites a sworn statement by late former SriLankan Airlines Chairman Kapila Chandrasena, who alleged the Director General had pressured him to implicate former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and MP Namal Rajapaksa in a corruption matter and had threatened him before the case was filed.
The Joint Opposition argues that the allegations raise serious doubts about CIABOC’s impartiality and amount to misconduct. Under the Anti-Corruption Act No. 09 of 2023, the Commission has the authority to conduct disciplinary inquiries against its own Director General if he fails to uphold his duties, it noted.
The letter sets out three specific requests: an immediate impartial inquiry into the allegations in Chandrasena’s sworn statement; the Director General’s temporary removal from CIABOC duties until the inquiry is concluded “to prevent undue influence”; and legal action based on the findings.
The move follows the SLPP’s standalone demand for the Director General’s removal on May 25, and earlier opposition criticism including G.L. Peiris’s claim that CIABOC had become a “political tool” in the Chandrasena matter. Chandrasena was found dead in an apparent suicide on May 8, days after his bail was revoked and a fresh arrest warrant was issued.
