DEFENCE MINISTRY FAILED TO CARRY OUT INSTRUCTIONS: PCOI

It was revealed yesterday at the Presidential Commission of Inquiry (PCOI) to investigate corruption of the current government that though the Defence Ministry had been informed by the Secretary to the Agriculture Ministry in September 2015 to relocate the ministry at ‘Suhurupaya’ (SPI – Building) immediately, the Defence Ministry failed to carry out this instruction.

Former Additional Secretary-Technical to the Defence Ministry and current Project Director of

Colombo Suburban Railway Project, Palitha Samarasinghe informed the commission that during this period, the Urban Development Authority (UDA) came under the purview of the Defence Ministry. “The Prime Minister had decided to relocate several ministries at Suhurupaya which comes under the UDA in 2015,” he said.

According to a Cabinet decision, the Prime Minister has directed the Defence Ministry to provide priority on the relocation of the Agriculture Ministry at the 14th floor in Suhurupaya, PCOI observed.

However, the commission was informed that the Defence Ministry had allocated the 15th floor in Suhurupaya to the Agriculture Ministry and the acting Secretary to the Agriculture Ministry N.P.C. Piyathilake responded stating that there was insufficient space on the suggested floor to accommodate the ministry office.

The witness also said that according to the President’s recommendations, the Agriculture Ministry was to be housed temporarily in a private building until finalizing the construction of ‘Sethsiripaya- Stage 3’ building. Accordingly, it was earlier revealed that the ministry had signed an agreement with D.P.A. Jayasinghe Company on April 11, 2016. However, the ministry officials did not shift to the building for over 16 months though it had paid the company a monthly rental of over Rs. 24.6 million from April 2016.

It was also reported that there was no termination clause in the lease agreement which was signed between the Ministry of Agriculture and D.P.A. Jayasinghe Company in 2016 although the ministry was renting out this building for a high price.

Prime Minister has directed the Defence Ministry to provide priority on the relocation of the Agriculture Ministry at the 14th floor in Suhurupaya