‘HOW CJ MISLED PSC ON TRILLIUM’
Sandasen MARASINGHE
* Conceals SC terms in the purchase of Trillium house
* Money paid in cash although PSC was told, by cheques ...
The submissions made by Chief Justice Dr.Shirani Bandaranayake before
the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) relating to the purchase of a
house from Trillium Residencies was totally contrary to what transpired
as per the record in the Supreme Court, Petroleum Industries Minister
Susil Premajayantha said.
He made this observation yesterday at a press conference at the Sri
Lanka Foundation Institute, organized by the People’s Movement for
Justice.
Minister Premajayantha further said that according to the Supreme
Court records, the purchase of the house from Trillium Residencies in
the name of two others using a special power of attorney licence should
be made after a tender notice, with the approval of the Supreme Court,
but in the documents submitted by CJ Shirani Bandaranayake before the
PSC, the reference ‘with the approval of the Supreme Court’ had been
omitted.
He added that the house had been purchased without the approval of
the Supreme Court, which was an offence.
He also said according to the CJ the money had been paid for the
house with four cheques, but the attorney who prepared the power of
attorney licence had noted in the document that the money (Rs. 19
million) was paid in cash.
He added that the said document was the 823 deed handled by the
attorney hence she {the attorney) was well experienced .The Minister
added that a person who heads the country’s judiciary cannot simply say
that she did not see it.
Minister Susil Premajayantha said in Commonwealth countries, India,
Phillippines,the US, UK etc, the procedure followed to impeach the Chief
Justice is almost the same. The procedure to impeach a Chief Justice and
a Supreme Court Judge was introduced to the Constitution and the
Standing Orders of the Parliament during the UNP regime. He added that
this impeachment motion has been moved following the same procedure
which was used to impeach two former CJs and three other Supreme Court
Justices.
He also added that an impeachment motion was moved against former CJ
Neville Samarakoon by Parliamentarians led by then Prime Minister R
Premadasa. However, though Neville Samarakoon requested for two weeks
time to file his submissions he was given only one week since the
investigation had to be completed within one month.The Minister said the
investigation was completed within one month to protect the dignity of
the CJ.
The Minister said the PSC to investigate the impeachment charges
against former CJ Neville Samarakoon too comprised six government
parliamentarians and another three opposition members.
Minster Premajayantha also said with the moving of this impeachment
motion, various organizations, including NGOs attempted to make this a
political issue. He added that on the previous occassions no such
protests were made at Hulftsdorp.
Western Provincial Council Minister Udaya Gammanpila also spoke at
the press briefing. |