Colombo (News1st): Chairman of COPE JVP Parliamentarian Sunil Handunetti speaking in Parliament today (Jan 24), requested that the proceedings of COPE be opened for the media. He added this should be done so the committees carry out the work in an accountable and transparent manner. He stressed this must be done for both COPE and COPA whilst ensuring the rights of persons involved under the privileges act.

Hadunnetti added that COPE convened on Tuesday (January 22) and compiled a report on 17 state institution they investigated in the latter part of 2018. SriLankan Airlines in the first nine months has recorded a loss of Rs. 40 billion and there are several State Institutions that incurred losses said Hadunnetti.

JVP Leader Anura Kumara Dissanayake weighing in requested the house to debate the COPE report prior to the debate on the budget. The leader of the House Lakshman Kiriella agreed to the debate and iterated that should the Government want to hide any misdoing they would not have given the Chairmanship to the JVP. Kiriella added that whilst successive governments have given the chairmanship to their own party men they have not done so, adding, in 2000 Ranil Wickremesinghe appointed Jaeyaraj Fernandopulle, a member of the then opposition. Kiriella iterated they are not against investigations by COPE. MP Dissanayake said the Chairmanship was not given tot he JVP out of the UNP’s heart but rather the lack of UNP representatives in the house when the appointments were being made. Dissanayake said this was the action of the Chamber and not the UNP and if you [UNP] is acting out the of the goodness of your hearts to end corruption, then tell the PM to bring back Arjuna Mahendran.