Ex- CIABOC DG defends her former role
Says she resigned after President’s statement
Mrs. Dias Wickremasinghe receiving her letter of appointment from the President at the Presidential Secretariat
The resignation of the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe created a storm last week.
Her resignation was made following a strong statement made by President Maithripala Sirisena who had said that he will not tolerate any political agendas being followed by CIABOC.
President Sirisena accepted Dias Wickramasinghe’s resignation and she went back to being an Additional Solicitor General.
The former DG of the CIABOC later told The Sunday Leader that she was willing to hold office and work for the institution but she had no choice but to tender her resignation after the President himself made allegations against the institution.
The President had raised his concerns at an event in Colombo which was aired and published in the local media.
Dias Wickramasinghe said that even though the President did not say anything about her personally and the post, he undermined the institution by hinting that it could be politicised.
“He (the President) undermined the institution is being politicised. If the president himself says that the CIABOC is politicised which is under my director generalship I had to resign. I have filed action against people who were found to be corrupt after the investigations because people are equal before the law and no one is above the law. Everyone should be treated equally and it is a must,” she said.
The President had also made comments against the CID and FCID but Dias Wickramasinghe said she would not respond to any comments or any other institution that the President had referred to.
“I only know that all the officials related to those institutions work tirelessly and honestly. He made allegations against them and undermined their independence. I was happily going on with my investigations without any problems at all. I actually wanted to continue my two terms there was no problem in acting as a DG for the CIABOC. As an honest public servant with a very straight backbone I had no option but to tender my resignation. It is very difficult for these dishonest people to understand the honesty of honest people,”Dias Wickramasinghe asserted.
Meanwhile several questions were raised over Senior Minister A.H.M. Fowzie being taken to courts by CIABOC for allegedly misusing government vehicles when the former government was in office.Dias Wickramasinghe said that CIABOC has corruption cases against over 90 politicians and Fowzie was just one among them.
“I do not select any investigation by favour nor do I interfere with the investigations,” she said.
She explained that when complaints are received the documents are sent to the investigations unit as they control the investigations and then the legal officers go through the documents and recommend charges. The charges are then sent to the Commission and the DG.
“I am asking the same people who are raising questions about Fowzie why are they not asking me about the other ministers whom I have not filed action over so far. There are 90 politicians. It does not mean that I am going to close all the files. Those files are still with the investigations unit and investigations are underway. No one could say that we are not investigating some cases or closing down the files of other politicians. Investigations have not concluded and that is the only reason why cases are not yet filed against these complaints. I have not filed action against Wimal Weerawansa and Mahindananda Aluthgamage, does that mean that the files are being closed down?” she questioned.
However, at the same time activist N. Kodituwakku filed a complaint against the DG accusing her of failing to take action against the tax free permit being misused by some Ministers.
He claimed that dishonest MPs have patently abused the office of the MP for unjust enrichment with permits sold to motor car importers who have imported high end luxury jeeps (all Luxury Land Cruiser Jeeps) absolutely defrauding the government’s tax revenue of Rs. 33,459,250.00 per vehicle, whereas only Rs 1750.00 has been paid as levies to Customs and whereas the new owners of these vehicles are not entitled to use this tax exemption privilege awarded under Section 3C of the Excise (Special Provision) Act No 8 of 1994 without paying the tax component exempted at the time of importation of the vehicles imported tax free, prior to effecting the respective transfers by the MPs.
He alleged that Dias Wickramasinghe had not taken any action against his complaint. Quoting a letter dated he received from CIABOC he says he was told the conditions in the tax free permits were decided as a policy of the government and therefore any loss caused to the government due to the implementation of such government policy will not fall within the scope of section 70 of the bribery Act and so the Commission will not take any further action on the complaint. Regarding the letter Dias Wickramasinghe said that was written in 2014 according to the directions given by the Commission at that time and way before she took office as the DG.
“I do not take decisions I only carry out the directions given by the commission. He lodged another complaint this year. That was sent to the Commission and I was not given any instructions. There are 200 complaints coming to the commission every day. They were received and transferred to the investigations unit which is the normal process and that’s what happened in his case too. Within one month he complained again quoting a false letter which was written last year saying that I have closed the file. He also went to the Supreme-Court with the same issue but the Supreme Court did not grant him leave on this matter,” she said.
“He has filed a complaint against the DG and a letter to the President and I have no time to waste on people like him, I would say ‘no comment’ for any allegations that he makes against me,” she added.Dias Wickramasinghe assumed duties as the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, on 12th February 2015.She received her initial legal education from the Sri Lanka Law College and was thereafter admitted to the Bar as an Attorney-at-Law of the Supreme Court on 21st October 1985. Later, she was admitted to the Bar of England & Wales as a Solicitor. She also obtained a masters’ degree (L.L.M) in Commercial Law from the University of Monash.In June 1987, Dias Wickremasinghe joined the Attorney General’s Department as a State Counsel. She was initially attached to the Criminal Division, and conducted prosecutions in High Courts. Later, she moved into the Civil Division, and commenced appearing in various civil cases. Dias Wickramasinghe had also previously served as a Senior State Counsel and Deputy Solicitor General.
In March 2014, following her elevation to the rank of Additional Solicitor General, she was appointed a President’s Counsel and was called to the inner Bar. She also served as a Judge of the High Court of the Republic of Fiji and also served as the Chief Legal Officer of the Sri Lanka Air Force.
Dias Wickramasinghe has contributed towards the development of various legislations such as the Electronic Transactions Act, the Computer Crimes Act and Anti-Dumping and Countervailing Bill.