April 30, Colombo (LNW): Concerns over parliamentary accountability have intensified after the Free Lawyers Association asserted that the chairman of the Committee on Public Finance (CoPF), Dr. Harsha de Silva, holds the legal authority to act if the Finance Ministry’s top official fails to comply with a parliamentary summons.
In a statement issued on behalf of the organisation, former Governor Rajith Keerthi Tennakoon explained that the committee derives its powers from Standing Order 121, introduced in 2022. He pointed out that existing provisions under the Parliament (Powers and Privileges) Act allow for sanctions against individuals who disregard parliamentary procedures.
According to Tennakoon, the committee is empowered to compel attendance from any person deemed necessary for its inquiries. Failure to honour such a summons could trigger legal consequences, with penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment of up to two years, imposed either by Parliament or through judicial proceeding involving the Supreme Court.
He further argued that defiance of parliamentary committees represents a serious breach of institutional norms, warning that continued inaction could undermine the authority of the legislature. In his view, the committee chairman would be compelled to either enforce the law or step aside to preserve parliamentary credibility.
The controversy follows confirmation by Dr. Harsha de Silva that Dr. Harshana Suriyapperuma would not be appearing before the CoPF as scheduled. The Finance Secretary had been called to provide clarification over a contentious financial incident involving approximately US$ 2.5 million reportedly diverted from Treasury funds earmarked for foreign debt servicing.
In a formal communication, Dr. Suriyapperuma informed the committee that he was unable to attend the committee, further fuelling debate over transparency and accountability.
Adding to the unease, Maithri Gunaratne, a member of the legal advocacy group, publicly questioned the credibility of the ongoing probe conducted by the Criminal Investigation Department. He suggested that the inquiry has yet to inspire confidence among observers.