Former minister Udaya Gammanpila and the Pivithuru Hela Urumaya today lodged a complaint with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, calling for legal action against the President and all National People’s Power (NPP) parliamentarians over alleged misuse of public funds.
In the letter handed over to the Commission, Gammanpila alleged that all salaries and allowances received by NPP lawmakers, including the President, are being directed to the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP) party fund, from which members then receive stipends.
He argued that while MPs receive about Rs. 340,000 monthly in various allowances, only a portion can be lawfully spent at their discretion. The remainder, he said, is allocated for specific purposes such as office maintenance, fuel, transport, and communications, and therefore diverting those funds to a political party amounts to misappropriation.
“Using state funds meant for constituency service and parliamentary duties for party activities is corruption,” the complaint stated. Gammanpila also cited statements made publicly by MP Dewananda Suraveera, who had acknowledged the practice.
The complaint further noted that asset declarations of the President and NPP MPs did not reflect the stipends they allegedly received from the party, which, Gammanpila said, could constitute violations under the Declaration of Assets and Liabilities law and the Bribery Act.
The Pivithuru Hela Urumaya urged the Bribery Commission to launch an immediate inquiry and enforce legal provisions, which include fines and prison terms if proven.
The Commission has yet to respond to the complaint. (Newswire)