At the Parliamentary Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), it was revealed that over Rs. 180 million allocated for various events and programs of the National Youth Services Council had been diverted to fund the campaign activities of candidate Ranil Wickremesinghe during the last presidential election.
Further disclosures indicated that the checks for these expenditures were issued with the signature of the former Chairman of the National Youth Services Council just a day before the election.
Officials from the Youth Services Council informed the committee that they had certified the expenses under pressure from the Chairman, fearing potential transfers if they refused to comply.
Dr. Nishantha Samaraweera, Chairman of the COPE Committee, urged officials to execute their duties responsibly and with integrity.
Additionally, it was noted that the Finance Director at the time was present at the committee hearing but attempted to remain silent, while lower-ranking officials provided statements, thereby misleading the committee.
Officials further revealed that Rs. 10 million had been received from the Treasury the day before the election. They stated that they were compelled to issue expenditure certificates and checks under the influence of the Chairman.
