SJB accuses Govt. of failing to seek AG’s advice on Speaker no-confidence motion
COLOMBO – Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP Ajith P. Perera has accused the government of failing to obtain the Attorney General’s advice on the no-confidence motion submitted against Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne, despite announcing that it would do so.
Raising a point of order in Parliament on Friday (6), the Kalutara District MP said no request for such advice had been made to the Attorney General so far.
Perera said the Opposition had submitted a no-confidence motion containing 50 allegations against the Speaker, but the government was refusing to allow it to be debated on the grounds that certain matters were before the courts.
He challenged the government to identify which specific allegations were currently before a court, noting that the motion contained allegations of corruption, fraud, theft, misconduct and abuse of authority.
He said the corruption allegations against the Speaker were being examined by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), which did not amount to a court case.
He also referred to a matter involving the Speaker pending before the Court of Appeal, arguing that no summons had been issued in that case.
Perera further rejected any suggestion that consultations with lawyers aligned with the government could be treated as a substitute for obtaining the formal advice of the Attorney General.
–ENCL
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