The Constitutional Council has rejected a third nominee proposed by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for the post of Acting Auditor General, deepening an appointment deadlock that has now stretched across multiple recommendations.
The Council met on Friday under the chairmanship of Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, with eight members in attendance.
The name of Senior Deputy Auditor General L.S.I. Jayaratne, who currently oversees audits of State banks, was put forward for approval.
Four members voted in favour of Jayaratne’s appointment, but the two representatives from civil society opposed the nomination, raising concerns about her conduct while overseeing bank audits.
Two additional members abstained, resulting in the rejection of her candidacy.
It is learnt that Ms Jayaratne had allegedly undertaken foreign travel funded by State banks she was responsible for auditing, including receiving allowances and airline tickets.
The allegations prompted questions about potential conflicts of interest and breaches of administrative regulations.
There were further claims that key audit reports related to those banks had not been submitted.
The latest decision marks the third time the Council has declined to approve a presidential nominee for the post. Earlier recommendations—H.T.P. Chandana and H.D. Dharmapala—were also rejected amid growing scrutiny over the independence and integrity of the auditing process within the public sector.
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