Following the intervention of Parliamentary watchdog committee, COPE, a defeated UPFA candidate, Bandula Basnayake has handed over an expensive vehicle, which he took from the State Timber Corporation, eight years ago.
“We received the Nissan Patrol bearing No. 65-4013 on Monday (05),” Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Environment, R. Rupsinghe told The Island.
Responding to a query, General Manager of the Timber Corporation, P. Kumarasiri said: “We have already appointed two Chartered Mechanical Engineers to inspect the vehicle and the report is due to be released within three days. If the vehicle is in a bad shape, we’ll inform the Ministry of Environment for necessary action.”
On August 25, the COPE, at a meeting chaired by Senior Minister D. E. W Gunasekara, MP, ordered the Secretary to the Ministry of Environment to lodge a complaint with the Police, unless Basnayake returned the vehicle.
Sources said that the ex- minister had ignored previous calls to return the vehicle.
‘Voice Against Corruption’, an NGO spearheaded by the JVP and former Chief Justice Sarath Nanda de Silva, recently brought the Nissan affair to the attention of President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The Island: