The Road Development Authority (RDA) has not made any duplicate payments to contractors or companies from its accounts, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Prasanna Gunasena said.
He made the remarks at a media briefing responding to allegations by MP Nalin Bandara of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) that an improper payment had been made by the RDA.
The deputy minister rejected the claim, stating that no such payments had been issued from the authority’s accounts.
“There has not been a single double payment from the RDA’s main account or any related account. We state that firmly,” he said.
Questioned if there was a double payment made through the Bank of Ceylon (BOC), the minister said the matter should be clarified with the bank.
“That has to be asked from the Bank of Ceylon. If any payment is to be made, we transfer the funds from our account to another account and recommend the payment. Without us transferring funds, the bank cannot make any payment,” he said.
He added that if any overpayment had occurred due to a banking error, it would not fall under the responsibility of the RDA.
“If there has been an overpayment by the bank due to an error, that is not the responsibility of the RDA. It could be something between the bank and the contractor,” he said.
The deputy minister also said there had been no changes to the payment procedures and described the allegations as false.
He also said that there had been no changes to the payment procedures followed by the RDA.
The deputy minister described the allegations as false and strongly rejected the claims made by the opposition parliamentary member, Nalin Bandara. (Newswire)