Maithripala Sirisena handed the appointments to the members of commission to inquire and report the malpractices in the national airlines at the Presidential Secretariat Wednesday.
Retired Supreme Court Judge Anil Gunaratna has been appointed as the President of the commission, and Court of Appeal Judge Gamini Rohan Amarasekara, Retired High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe, Retired Deputy Auditor General M. D. A. Harald, the Director General of the Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board Ms. W. J. K. Geeganage have been appointed as the members of the Commission.
The five-member Commission will investigate, inquire into, and report on, the management, administration and conduct of affairs of SriLankan Airlines Limited, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka during the period of January 01, 2006 to January 31, 2018 to determine whether there has been any “malpractice, irregularity or non-compliance with or disregard of the proper economic and financial prudence, norms, guidelines, procedures and best practices applicable”.
Present Sirisena, who signed the gazette notification appointing the commission on 2 February 2018, said earlier that it has become necessary to inquire and investigate into the misconduct occurred in national airlines and their affiliated services in the past and to identify the persons, if any, who have been so involved in such irregularities committed.
According to the Gazette Notification, the Commission is tasked with investigating “whether there has been misuse or abuse of power, influence, interference, fraud, corruption and nepotism or any other action or omission in relation to the management” of the three state-owned enterprises and make recommendations on the procedures and guidelines which should be adopted in the future to ensure that affairs are carried out with transparency and with proper professional care and accountability with a view to secure optimum benefit to the Government.
Accordingly, the new Commission will look into the following irregularities in the relevant companies.
- Monetary allocations, loans, shares, investments and other finances from the Treasury, Central Bank, People’s Bank, Bank of Ceylon or any other financial institution.
- The establishment, operation and cessation of Mihin Lanka (Pvt) Ltd.
- The reasons for the termination of the agreement entered between the SriLankan Airlines and Emirates Airlines, which is the international Airlines Company of the U.A.E. and its complex results.
- Entering, extending and termination of agreements to purchase of aircrafts and other assets, selling, leasing, selling and re- renting, conveyance, exchange, releasing and disposal.
- Purchase, hire, lease, charter, sale, and transfer of aircraft or any assets valued more than Rs 50 million.
- Consigning and appointing of sub agents, brokers and consultants, companies, individuals or entity to supply goods, services or any other function.
- Opening, maintenance and suspension of networks and offices in other countries.
- The interactions between SriLankan Airlines, SriLankan Catering and Mihin Lanka.
- Human Resource Management including selection, appointment, remuneration, promotions, transfers, employee restructuring and retirement of the Board of Directors, CEOs, Chairman and other senior management.
- Financial reporting, compliance with relevant accounting and auditing standards, and financial and operational performance and standards.
