Courts order inquiry into file grab at SLIC

Wasantha RAMANAYAKE

The Supreme Court yesterday directed the Treasury Secretary to investigate the incident where certain files and documents were removed from the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation (SLIC) premises in a vehicle that had been arrested by the Slave Island Police on Wednesday.

The Supreme Court ordered the OIC Slave Island Police to obtain a detention order from the Magistrate and inquire into the incident. It further ordered Police to deal with the wrong doers according to the law if the files were found to be SLIC property.

Court made the orders when Counsel M.A. Sumanthiran for the petitioner Vasudeva Nanayakkara informed Court that an attempt had been made to remove those files and an accountant of the SLIC had lodged a complaint with Slave Island Police who had arrested the vehicle.

Court also allowed an application by Deputy Solicitor General S. Rajarathnam for the Treasury Secretary to nominate competent persons for the approval of the Court to be appointed as the Chairman and Directors to the SLIC Board on the next date - June 26.

The Court refusing to issue consequential orders on the findings of the Supreme Court in its judgment on the SLRC pointed out that the authorities who were responsible were empowered by the law to act on the findings.

The petitioner sought consequential orders to be issued on the DIG CID, the Bribery Commission, the Chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission, the President of Charted Accountants and the Controller of Exchange. However, Court noted that it would continue to make orders with regard to the main issues.

The 13 respondent Nihal Sri Amarasekera submitted that the SLIC data was handled by a private company and added that there was a danger of these data being manipulated.

Court accordingly directed the DSG to discuss the matter with the Treasury Secretary.

The Bench comprised Justice Nimal Gamini Amaratunga, Justice K. Sripavan and Justice P.A. Rathnayake PC.

The Court earlier delivering the judgment in the rights application against the privatization of the SLIC, granted time till yesterday to the Treasury Secretary to nominate competent persons for the approval of the Court to be appointed as the Chairman and Directors to the SLIC Board.

The Supreme Court earlier delivering the judgment had annulled the multi - billion rupee privatization of the country's State owned insurance giant in 2003.

Petitioners Vasudeva Nanayakkara and two employees R. Sarath Nandalal and Ariyawanse Bandaranayake complained to Court that privatization of SLIC lacked any transparency, and tainted with irregularities in the process causing massive losses to the Government and the public.

The petitioners cited the 38 respondents including former Finance Minister K.N. Choksy, former Economic Reform Minister Milinda Moragoda, former Treasury Secretary Charitha Ratwatte, Distilleries Company of Sri Lanka Ltd. Milford Holdings Ltd. Greenfield Pacific EM Holdings Ltd. D.H.S. Jayawardane and the Attorney General.