Public Trustees Department has breached trust of people, says ex-judge

The post of the Public Trustee is a responsible public office in which people place trust and confidence by entrusting the care of their properties and wealth. It is sad that the Public Trustee's Department in the past had acted in a manner breaching the people's trust, former Supreme Court Judge A.M.S. Samaraweera said.

He was speaking as Chairman of the Commission Investigating into Complaints of Corruption and Fraud against the Public Trustees Department since 1987 when he presented an Interim Report on its findings to Buddha Sasana Ministry Secretary and acting Public Trustee D.W. Abeywickrama.

The Commission was appointed on a proposal by Minister of Buddha Sasana, Public Security, Law and Order, Agriculture and Deputy Defence Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayaka following complaints of corruption and malpractices reported against the Department. Samaraweera said the Commission will submit its final report in three months.

He said the Public Trustee's Department is the only Department where people before their death entrust their life interests in the hands of the Department with faith that they would carry out their wishes.

The Commission has so far found several irregular transactions where funds have been spent contrary to wishes of those who have entrusted faith in the Department. This has been revealed in the data collected and investigations by the Commission.

It is the Commission's aim to make recommendations not to allow malpractices to take place in the future and restore the people's trust and confidence in the Public Trustee's Department, Samaraweera said.