BASL urges similar action against MPS

The Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), the policy making body comprising more than 11,000 lawyers in the country yesterday urged the Bribery Commission to file charges against Members of Parliament, who had not declared their assets in accordance with legal requirements.

It said charges should also be brought against senior public officials, whose alleged involvement in “illegal financial transactions” using public funds had resulted in Sri Lanka incurring losses amounting to billions of rupees.

BASL President Upul Jayasuriya told Daily Mirror the latest action against Chief Justice 43 Shirani Bandaranayake in Colombo High Court is a ‘mockery of justice’.

“When there is a zero balance how can one declare assets? An asset is not a zero balance,” Mr. Jayasuriya said and added that the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption had filed the charges in this case relating to accounts which had only zero balances.

“If an account had Rs.10 it could have been an asset. But how can a zero or a nil balance be an asset,” he said. The BASL President said that a Bar Council meeting would be summoned immediately to discuss the latest development. “There are blatant violations by politicians and public officials in the government but no action has been taken. The Bribery Commission has not filed any B-report or initiated any investigation against MPs who are legally bound to declare assets. A B-report was not filed against the MP who did not account for Rs.400 million which was in his account,” Mr. Jayasuriya said.

“There were serious allegations against Ajit Nivaard Cabral with regard to the Rs.12 billon loss incurred when allegedly buying shares from the stock market and a loss of Rs.2.5 billion said to have incurred when purchasing worthless Greek bonds,” Mr. Jayasuriya said. “The entire judicial system will collapse and the people will lose their confidence on the judiciary if things continue like this.”

When there is a zero balance how can one declare assets? An asset is not a zero balance. The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption had filed the charges relating to accounts which had only zero balances