Colombo, Oct 17 (NIA) – Director General of Sri Lanka’s anti graft commission, Dilrukshi Dias Wickramasinghe, resigned from her post on Monday, days after President Maithripala Sirisena lashed out at the Commission stating that it could be working under a political agenda.
Wickramasingha was appointed as the Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption by the new government headed by Sirisena in 2015.
She told journalists on Monday that she had tendered in her resignation to Sirisena but did not elaborate on the reasons for her to quit.
President Sirisena, in a speech in Colombo on Oct 12, slammed the Bribery Commission and two Police divisions for taking three former navy commanders and the former defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapakse to court earlier this month over an investigation.
“I am expressing my disgust at this turn of events. Three navy commanders who served during the war and the former Defence Secretary were hauled into court,” the President charged during his speech.
The goal of establishing independent commissions was to restore freedom and democracy, protect democracy and to build a corruption-free country, President Sirisena said.
“These commissions cannot carry out political agendas. They must understand their limit,” the enraged President added.
“As Defence Minister and President, I am disgusted,” he charged.
Sirisena’s comments were widely criticized by the civil society and minor political parties who urged the Head of State to refrain from making statements that would weaken criminal investigations and prosecutions.
