Rs.14.1mn. spent on air fares, travel expenses from 2015 to 2019: PM

From Feb. 2015 to June 2017, the PM’S Office paid around Rs. 33.7 million as staff salaries, allowances and other expenses

Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa yesterday said Rs.14.1 million had been spent as air fares and travel expenses for 20 Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) officers who travelled abroad for investigations from 2015 to 2019.

Responding to a question in parliament, mr. raj a pa ks a said, the officers from the FCID have taken part in overseas trips from 2015 to 2019 for investigations.

“About 20 such officers have participated in 19 foreign tours from time to time and a sum of around Rs. 14.1 million have been paid as their air fares and travel expenses,”he said.

He said the names and designations of the officers who participated in such foreign tours,the purposes of the travel,the countries they visited and the duration spent in those countries and details of expenses on air travel and accommodation facilities etc.,are included in documents submitted to parliament. Meanwhile, commenting on the‘anti-corruption Committee,’the Prime Minister said it was established in accordance with the decisions taken at the Cabinet meeting held on January 21,2015 following a proposal forwarded by Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.he said the Prime Minister’s Office has not paid any salary or allowance to the 13 members of the Anti-corruption Committee.

However,as per the decision of the Cabinet on February 11,2015,a Secretariat for the Anti-corruption Committee has been established and approval had been given to recruit the required staff. accordingly, staff members comprising of 44 officers have been formed and the Prime Minister’s Office has paid salaries and allowances to them. “For example,its director,ananda Wijepala,has been paid Rs.12 million for three years. Also, from February 2015 to June 2017, the Prime Minister’s Office paid around Rs. 33.7 million as staff salaries, allowances and other expenses,” he said.