The third candidate recommended by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake for the post of Acting Auditor General has also been rejected by the Constitutional Council.
The Council met last Friday (05) under the chairmanship of Speaker Dr. Jagath Wickramaratne, with eight members in attendance. During the meeting, the name of Senior Deputy Auditor General L.S.I. Jayaratne,who oversees the audit of State Banks, was presented for approval.
Although four members voted in favour of her appointment, the two members representing civil society voted against it, raising several allegations concerning her conduct. Meanwhile, two other members abstained from voting, resulting in her nomination being rejected.
It is reported that Ms. Jayaratne, while serving as the officer in charge of auditing State Banks, had allegedly undertaken foreign trips using allowances and air tickets provided by those same banks. This is said to have compromised administrative regulations and audit independence. There are also allegations that the relevant audit reports have not been submitted, raising further concerns about a potential conflict of interest.
Previously, the names of H.T.P. Chandana and H.D. Dharmapala were also recommended for the post, but the Constitutional Council did not approve those nominations either.
