In a explosive press conference yesterday, senior lawyer and Sarvajana Balaya General Secretary Ranjan Seneviratne accused Finance Ministry Secretary Dr. Harshana Suriyapperema of holding dual citizenship in Sri Lanka and Australia a direct violation of the 21st Amendment to the Constitution.
Citing documentation, Seneviratne revealed that Suriyapperema allegedly obtained dual citizenship certificate No. C9 058 28 from the Controller of Immigration and Emigration on February 3, 2010. The respected legal figure questioned how a dual citizen could serve as an MP and Deputy Minister while taking an oath under Article 63 to uphold the very Constitution he was violating.
“Did the party leadership know? Was his resignation from parliament an attempt to suppress this revelation?” Seneviratne demanded. “Can the nation entrust its Treasury to a man who deliberately breached the supreme law?”
The allegations come amid an ongoing $2.5 Mn treasury fraud probe that already saw six lower-level officials suspended and one tragic loss of life. Seneviratne insisted blame cannot be forced onto minor officials insisting ultimate accountability rests with President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the Finance Minister, and Secretary Suriyapperema.
The dual citizenship row has now triggered severe headaches for the ruling party. A final decision on Suriyapperema’s fate is expected this week unless he personally takes on the opposition’s challenge and publicly clarifies whether he has legally revoked his Australian citizenship, and exactly when.
