Parliament on Friday (26) took up a motion seeking to amend Standing Orders to strengthen the mandate of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE).
The motion, presented by COPE Chairman Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera under Standing Order 137, proposes an amendment to Standing Order 120(4), enabling the Committee to refer serious cases of financial fraud or corruption directly to the law enforcement authorities.
According to the proposed amendment, if COPE determines during its examination of Auditor General’s reports that major financial malpractice has occurred, such matters may be forwarded either to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) or to the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for legal action.
The motion has been referred to the Committee on Standing Orders for consideration, following which further steps will be taken.
