Questions over Central Cultural Fund document and allocation of Rs. 11bn
A document has now surfaced where the Central Cultural Fund's ( CCF) Governing Council reportedly gave approval to release funds of the CCF for projects approved by former Minister Sajith Premadasa during his tenure of office.
The document contains a date just a day ahead of the Presidential elections held on November 16 last year.
It has now been revealed that no such meeting was held on the date mentioned in the document.
The document contains only eight signatures of the 11 member Governing Council and importantly does not have the signature of the Council's then Chairman – former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe. It is also minus the signatures of former members of the council Akila Viraj Kariyawasam and the former PM's Secretary Saman Ekanayake.
Among others who have signed the document are former Ministers Sajith Premadasa, Mangala Samaraweera, Mano Ganeshan and John Amaratunga.
According to Council members the last meeting of the Governing Council was held as far back as March 05, 2018.
Therefore, questions are being raised as to how the document came about when no such meeting was held.
A report compiled subsequently had revealed that as much as Rs 11 billion had been withdrawn from the CCF funds without approval.
The money had been spent during the election period. Some of it was spent on religious programmes and construction of buildings for religious schools.