Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa has stated that no member of the National People’s Power (NPP) is involved in bribery, corruption or fraudulent activities, stressing that the party is prepared to take disciplinary action if any such allegations are substantiated.
Minister Jayatissa made these remarks today (10) in response to questions raised by journalists at the weekly Cabinet media briefing regarding a controversial statement recently made by Kaduwela Mayor Ranjan Jayalal at a public event.
Responding to the questions, Minister Jayatissa said he was unaware of the exact context or intention behind the Mayor’s remarks.
However, he emphasised that no NPP public representative would engage in bribery, corruption or fraudulent activities.
The Cabinet Spokesman further stated that if a complaint was lodged against any party member in connection with such conduct, the party would conduct an internal inquiry and take appropriate disciplinary action.
He also stressed the importance of examining the Mayor’s complete statement before drawing conclusions, noting that only a portion of the remarks had been circulated.
The controversy arose following comments made by Kaduwela Mayor Ranjan Jayalal at a recent event, where he referred to gift parcels traditionally received by local authorities from private institutions during the month of December.
The Mayor reportedly said that such gifts were no longer being received following the change in administration, adding that the current representatives faced greater public scrutiny and were expected to demonstrate what they had delivered to the community.
He also referred to similar concerns within state institutions and made remarks about the past practices of receiving benefits through local government bodies.
Responding to the controversy, Minister Jayatissa reiterated that the NPP did not tolerate bribery, corruption or fraudulent conduct and was prepared to take internal disciplinary action if any formal complaints were received.