Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has issued a firm denial of recent media reports suggesting he was implicated in a court submission by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), calling the claims “a wilful misleading of the Court.”
CIABOC had informed court that a statement made by former President Wickremesinghe regarding MP Chamara Dassanayake’s case was false and had been given at the request of Dassanayake’s wife.
CIABOC had urged the court to revoke Dassanayake’s bail, citing concerns of possible interference with the ongoing investigation.
Issuing a statement today (16), Wickremesinghe clarified his position regarding an investigation involving MP Chamara Sampath Dissanayake.
He emphasised that the court had rejected the Commission’s application to cancel bail already granted to the MP and noted that the accused’s counsel had objected to the submissions made by CIABOC’s legal representative.
The former president asserted that the public narrative had omitted key facts and misrepresented the nature of his involvement.
“In my statement to the Commission on 28th April 2025, I clearly stated that I had only provided legal advice to the spouse of MP Chamara Sampath, who consulted me regarding a possible breach of parliamentary privilege,” Wickremesinghe said.
He went on to explain that, as legal counsel, he was not in a position to disclose details of the conversation and had instead directed the Commission to consult the relevant constitutional provisions on parliamentary financial control.
Citing Articles 148 to 150 of the Constitution, Wickremesinghe highlighted that funds of the Republic must be managed through the Consolidated Fund under the authority of the Minister of Finance. He noted that the placement of public funds in fixed deposits without legal appropriation constituted a constitutional violation.
“A circular merely reiterates existing law—it does not itself have the force of law. The correct course of action would be to withdraw the funds and reallocate them through proper budgetary procedures,” he said.
Wickremesinghe also questioned the conduct of CIABOC and its investigation process under the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023. He revealed that he had written to the Commission requesting clarification on how the inquiry was being carried out, and expressed concern over the possible political misuse of confidential communications.
According to his letter to the Commission, Wickremesinghe first received a request to appear before investigators on April 17 but was unable to attend due to prior travel commitments. His legal counsel had notified the Commission accordingly. A subsequent notice alleged that he may have made public statements interfering with an ongoing investigation—an accusation the former president rejected outright.
Of particular concern to Wickremesinghe was a statement by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake at a political rally in Batticaloa on April 11, in which he appeared to reference private correspondence between Wickremesinghe and CIABOC.
“I request an explanation as to how these letters were made available to the President. This raises serious questions about the integrity and impartiality of the Commission,” he said.
Wickremesinghe further said that he is consulting legal counsel regarding possible legal action over the alleged misrepresentation of facts and breach of confidentiality by the anti-corruption body.
Leave a comment