Former chairman of COPE Dew Gunasekara too, agrees, and says a committee comprising Supreme Court judges should probe a company getting a Rs. 10 billion profit within 18 months.

COPE chairman walks out

Meanwhile, COPE chairman Sunil Handunnetti said he walked out of yesterday’s (24) committee meeting after telling UNP members that he could not agree to a report as wished by them.

He has told them to appoint a temporary chairman from among them and get what they wanted done.

They wanted his draft to be amended in order to prepare the final report which he had based on the conclusions of the auditor general, he said.

Handunnetti said he had no right to influence the AG and alter his recommendations.

If the committee disagrees with the AG, it can only declare its stand known, he added.

The COPE chairman said he has been working to find the truth and inform parliament about it, and not to make anyone guilty or to absolve a culprit.

Meanwhile, UNP member of the committee Ajith P. Perera said COPE has recommended court action against Arjun Aloysius, son-in-law of former Central Bank governor Arjun Mahendran, and his company.