A heated argument erupted in Parliament yesterday when SJB Colombo District MP Mujibur Rahman questioned the appointment of High Court Judge Ranga Dissanayake as Director General of the Bribery Commission, citing claims of his past links with the JVP.
Rahman said there were reports that Judge Dissanayake had once worked for the JVP’s legal team. He described the allegation as a “serious issue” that could compromise the neutrality of the Commission.
Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne immediately intervened, ruling the matter out of order. He told Rahman that the issue was irrelevant and could not be pursued further in the House.
The exchange, however, sparked political barbs. Leader of the House, Minister Bimal Rathnayake, brushed aside the Opposition’s concerns and responded in verse, reciting a poem that suggested the SJB was confused in its own stance. “What has happened to the SJB? You were an important political party before, right?” Rathnayake quipped, drawing laughter from government benches.
Opposition MPs told the media that this controversy came up following comments made outside Parliament. Former JVP MP and current UNP member Nandana Gunathilake told a television programme on Wednesday that Justice Dissanayake had earlier served as a legal officer of the JVP, under his watch. Gunathilake questioned whether such a figure could be considered a neutral choice to lead the country’s top anti-graft body.
Opposition MPs said that the government must clarify whether Dissanayake’s alleged past affiliations were compatible with the Bribery Commission’s mandate of independence and impartiality.
An MP said that the appointment of Justice Dissanayake as Bribery Commission Director General was announced earlier this month. “His selection was hailed by the government as a step towards strengthening anti-corruption efforts, we intend to challenge the credibility of the move,” he said.
By Saman Indrajith 