Former SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickremasinghe has gone missing according to the Presidential Commission of Inquiry into Serious Financial Crimes.
A group of commission members who visited Wickremasinghe’s Mount Lavinia residence to deliver summons on him was told by his wife that she had not seen her husband for the past three years. She had also refused to accept summons on behalf of her husband, according to commission sources. Earlier, the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges said Wickremasinghe and former Civil Aviation Minister Priyankara Jayaratne will be summoned to record statements on various allegations of financial irregularities at SriLankan Catering Ltd. The commission earlier said Wickremasinghe will be summoned at 9 a.m. and Jayaratne at 10 a.m. on October 30.
“We have received complaints about various financial irregularities at SriLankan Catering Ltd during the previous government. These two individuals will be questioned over these allegations,” a commission member said.
However, yesterday a commission member said that their efforts to locate Wickremasinghe had failed.. Wickremasinghe a close relative of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa is facing a number of accusations related to corruption and malpractices which allegedly occurred at SriLankan Airlines during his tenure as the airlines chief.
Recently a Board of Inquiry appointed by the government found details of corruption running into billions of dollars, manipulations of service contracting, recruitment of unqualified staff and major security breaches at SriLankan Airlines under the former government.
The panel headed by anti-corruption advocate and senior lawyer J.C. Weliamuna found instances of gross abuse of power by former Chairman Nishantha Wickramasinghe.
Kamani Alwis
CDN