July 07, Colombo (LNW): The Parliament of Sri Lanka has firmly dismissed recent accusations directed at Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne, following claims submitted to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) concerning alleged misuse of public resources.
In a detailed public statement, the parliamentary authorities refuted the charges, which included suggestions of excessive fuel use, unauthorised occupation of state property, and an inflated allocation of official vehicles. The statement aimed to clarify the Speaker’s entitlements and practices in response to growing speculation.
According to the official communication, Speaker Wickramaratne has voluntarily chosen to limit his entitlements, notably declining the open-ended fuel provisions reportedly enjoyed by some of his predecessors.
Instead, he has opted to receive the same monthly fuel quota provided to Cabinet Ministers—currently capped at 900 litres.
Addressing further points of contention, the statement explained that the Speaker is permitted two official vehicles for his use, while a separate van is assigned to his Media Unit to facilitate parliamentary communications.
Additionally, three members of his personal staff—a Private Secretary, a Coordination Secretary, and a Public Relations Officer—receive transport allowances and official vehicles as part of their professional responsibilities.
