Panel to probe SriLankan, airport SOE

Sri Lanka’s Cabinet has approved a proposal by President Anura Kumara Dissanayake committee to probe alleged irregularities in transactions in SriLankan Airlines and Airport and Aviation Service (Pvt) Ltd.

The move comes as former SriLankan Airlines Chairman Nishantha Wickremesinghe was arrested on a complaint by the Commission for Bribery and Corruption.

Retired Auditor General H.M. Gamini Wijesinghe will head the committee, Cabinet Spokesman Minister Nalinda Jayatissa said.

Though SriLankan is helpful for economic activities, its annual losses have become a costly burden to the country.

The government intended to make it an efficient and modernized agency.

The committee is required to go into the reasons for the losses.

There have also been calls on the government to investigate the affairs of the Airport and Aviation Services (Pvt) Ltd, which runs the airports.

The committee will be charged with investigating alleged irregularities in both agencies from 2010 to 2025 and providing recommendations.