By Saman Indrajith

The credibility of a government that claimed to be fighting corruption was at stake when individuals involved in financial misappropriation held Cabinet positions, Batticaloa District ITAK MP Shanakiyan Rasamanickam told the House yesterday.

Speaking during the committee-stage debate on expenditure heads of the Ministry of Energy in Budget 2025 proposals, Rasamanickam stated that an individual who had been interdicted over a financial fraud in the Fertilizer Corporation was now a member of the NPP Cabinet and sat in the front row of the government side.

The person in question had been appointed to the Fertilizer Corporation when Anura Kumara Dissanayake was Minister of Agriculture in the UPFA government under President Chandrika Kumaratunga.

“Since I do not intend to vilify anyone, I refrain from naming the person concerned,” Rasamanickam said.

Meanwhile, earlier in the day, during the debate, NDF Badulla District MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake lashed out at Energy Minister Eng. Kumara Jayakody, claiming that he had information about Jayakody’s dealings while working at the Fertilizer Corporation.

“I have information about your transactions but I will not go into details,” Dassanayake told Minister Jayakody when the latter attempted to interrupt.

Deputy Speaker Rizvie Salih cautioned MP Sampath against making personal attacks.

In response, Sampath stated that he had not engaged in any personal attacks.