Minister Malik Samarawickrama, who reiterated that no funds belonging to the Mahapola Fund had been misused as claimed by the joint opposition, yesterday requested the Bribery Commission’s Director General to expedite an inquiry into the complaint filed by the JO to ascertain the facts.

He told a news conference held at the Development Strategies and International Trade Ministry that they hoped the Bribery Commission would take action against the two JO MPs for making false complaints.

“The allegations are completely false. I’m not surprised that these allegations are being made by bankrupt politicians. The Mahapola Trust Fund is not a property of an individual to misuse. It is being monitored by a board of trustees headed by the Chief Justice. Secretaries of the Higher Education, Education and International Trade Ministries are some of other trustees,” the minister said.

Gihan Jayatilleke, the Chief Executive Officer of the National Wealth Corporation Limited (NWCL) which regulates the Mahapola Fund, said no Mahapola funds had been invested in the companies of SAFE Holding, Asset Trust Management (Pvt.) Ltd or NatWealth Securities Limited as alleged.

However, he said Rs.300 million belonging to the fund had been invested in the primary market with a return of Rs.1billion generated to the Mahapola Fund.

“The NatWealth Securities Limited is only a company which can purchase bonds from the market,” he said.

NWCL Chairman Wickrema Weerasooria said he was shocked by the allegations and he had written to the Bribery Commission’s Director General requesting him to expedite the probe.

The JO alleged that the Mahapola Trust Fund and Schools Development Fund had been misused by Minister Malik Samarawickrama and Dr. Wickrema Weerasooria and they lodged a complaint at the Bribery Commission seeking action against the two. (Lahiru Pothmulla)