Sri Lanka Brief/Colombo, December 30, 2025 — President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has appointed a three-member Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate widespread allegations of corruption, fraud, and abuse of power linked to the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), according to a Gazette Extraordinary issued on Tuesday.
The Commission has been tasked with probing alleged wrongdoing spanning a 15-year period from 2010 to 2025, including the misuse of public resources, unlawful appointments, procurement violations, irregular leasing of public property, and financial losses to state assets and revenue.
The Commission will be chaired by former High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe, with senior state accountant E.R.M.S.H. Ekanayake and former Senior Superintendent of Police D.S. Wikramasinghe serving as members.
According to the Gazette, the inquiry will examine allegations against politicians, public officials, statutory body officers, and private individuals involved in providing goods and services to the CMC. The Commission is empowered to call for public complaints, receive information, and conduct comprehensive investigations into serious offences, including criminal breach of trust, misappropriation of property, and abuse of authority.
The President stated that the inquiry is necessary due to substantial losses suffered by the state and the failure of the Colombo Municipal Council to meet its development objectives as a result of alleged corruption and maladministration.
The Commission has also been granted discretion to investigate serious offences outside the specified time period if deemed necessary during the course of its work.
The move is seen as a significant step by the new administration to strengthen accountability and restore public confidence in local government institutions, particularly in Colombo, Sri Lanka’s largest municipal authority.
