Bandula Gunawardena Leaves Bribery Commission After Giving Statement

Former Minister Bandula Gunawardena left the premises of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) at around 1.30 p.m. today after appearing before the Commission to provide a statement.

Gunawardena arrived at the CIABOC office on Jawatta Road this morning following a summons issued by the Commission. He remained there for approximately four hours while his statement was recorded. He had been summoned in connection with an investigation relating to a Cabinet paper submitted in 2007.

Speaking to the media after giving his statement, Gunawardena said that he had assumed duties as the Minister of Trade and Consumer Affairs in 2007 and had signed a Cabinet paper on 21 March that year relating to the establishment of a State-owned company using funds from the Companies Registrar’s Fund.

He said he had been asked to appear before the Bribery Commission to provide a statement regarding the matter.

“We are people who are opposed to bribery and corruption and who hoped to build a better country. Therefore, we came here to cooperate and provide the full account,” he said.

Gunawardena said he had explained to investigators the process involved in preparing Cabinet papers, including the procedures that take place before a Cabinet paper is prepared and the processes involved in approving or rejecting such proposals.

He also said that he had recently written a book on financial management in Sri Lanka, including recommendations made by the International Monetary Fund, and that he had presented a copy of the book to the officials at the Commission.

“If there has been a loss to the Government, there should be an impartial investigation, followed by due legal proceedings and punishment through the judicial process. If this is being done for the purpose of political revenge, that is wrong,” Gunawardena said.

He said that he had served in several ministries and had explained the facts known to him to the investigators before providing his statement.

Gunawardena further said that those responsible for corruption should be brought before the courts. He also claimed that he and others like him had not taken official residences or vehicle permits, describing themselves as politicians of a different kind.

He said that he was currently living independently after distancing himself from what he described as “decayed” political party organisations.

Concluding his remarks, Gunawardena said that even when people engage in good politics, they could still be defeated politically.

He referred to a Sinhala saying to describe the situation, saying that “even if someone is eating chocolate beside a grinding mill, people watching may think that he is eating cattle feed.”

Current reports confirm that Gunawardena was summoned to provide information concerning a 2007 Cabinet paper and that he left CIABOC after recording a statement lasting more than four hours. No finding of wrongdoing is established merely by his being summoned to provide a statement.