SPEAKER TO TABLE REPORT ON FRIDAY | Daily News
MPs’ unruly behaviour in Parliament

SPEAKER TO TABLE REPORT ON FRIDAY

* Legal action to be taken against seven MPs
* CID investigation expedited
* Damages to Parliament property exceed Rs.300,000

The report of the Special Parliamentary Committee that investigated into the unruly incidents in the Chamber on November 14, 15 and 16 will be tabled by Speaker Karu Jayasuriya on Friday (22), Deputy Speaker Ananda Kumarasiri said.

Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, the Deputy Speaker said that the Speaker would then refer the report to the Parliament Ethics and Privileges Committee headed by Minister Thilak Marapana. He however said the report has not yet been forwarded to the Attorney General and that the Speaker awaits the recommendations of the Ethics and Privileges Committee in that regard.

The 10-member Ethics and Privileges Committee has scheduled a meeting on Wednesday afternoon to take up the report. The Deputy Speaker said the CID investigation into the incident has also been expedited and is being carried out independently.

A copy of the report leaked to the media late last month revealed that the report has named 59 MPs for misconduct in the Chamber (54 UPFA MPs, four UNP MPs and 1 JVP MP). The report was handed over to the Speaker on January 18.

 The Speaker’s Office told the Daily News that legal action would be instituted against seven MPs who were found to have seriously misbehaved in Parliament.

Legal action will be taken under the Parliament Powers and Privileges Act and the Public Property Act. The cost of damage to Parliament property due to the clash of MPs exceeded Rs.300,000. “The report will be in public domain from Wednesday. The media and any interested party can obtain it after that,” said the Deputy Speaker who chaired the six-member Special Committee.

Attacking Police personnel and MPs with water mixed with chilli powder and a wooden chair, sneaking in a knife into the Chamber, pouring water on the Speaker’s Chair, damaging the microphones on the Speaker’s table, hurling copies of the Constitution and other books at MPs, exchanging fisticuffs, hurling abuse at the Chair and conducting mock sittings were some of the indecent incidents that occurred in Parliament on November 14, 15 and 16.


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