Aug 19 2013 August 19, 2013 July 3, 2023 NoComment Report Photo

FILE BURNING SETS CMC ON FIRE

Posted by Editor on August 19, 2013 - 7:53 am

Colombo Municipal Council

Suspicious seting fire to thousands of files containing important documents of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC), the work of the Council’s Secretary’s Department has set the Council aflame with recriminations. Colombo Mayor A. J. M Muzammil yesterday ordered a report on the incident from CMC’s Internal Audit.

Meanwhile, several Colombo Municipal Councilors have requested a full scale investigation into the incident from the Western Province Governor, Chief Minister Prasanna Ranatunga and the Criminal Investigation Department. The CMC’s Secretary’s Department had set fire to over 6000 CMC files on Saturday.

“They have taken the files and burnt them at the General Cemetery, Borella in two cars and a van, all belonging to the Secretary’s Department,” said Colombo Municipal Councilor Mahendra Silva of the United National Party..

“The Secretary’s Department had taken this action at a time we have raised concerns about certain corruption and malpractices that had taken place in the CMC, especially regarding several appointments and recruitments that the CMC has made without adhering to CMC stipulations,” said Councilor Silva.

Municipal Councilors Roy Bogahawatta (Independent Group), Eric Chandrasena (United People’s Freedom Front) and Mahendra Silva said the files were set on fire by the Secretary’s Department soon after our sister newspaper “ Dinamina” exposed those activities based on their information.

Besides , we have apprised the Council at the General Committee about the corruption pertaining to recruitment procedures and appointments,” the Councilors said.

Councilor Silva said , by the time they learned that the Secretary’s Department was burning some files belonging to the CMC at Borella cemetery on Saturday, it was around 4. 40pm and they went to the cemetery.

“Most of the files had been consumed by the fire by the time we reached there. However, we managed to salvage some partly burnt files from the fire with the use of sticks and tree branches. Among these files were documents relating to recruitment and appointments dated between 2010 and 2012,” he said.

“There were documents relating to internal transfers, promotions and CMC assets among them,” he said.

“We phoned Mayor Muzammail straight away and informed him about the files that were in flames,”

The councilors pointed out that the files had been set on fire without following legal procedures and obtaining any approval from the relevant authorities. These are state documents, the Secretary’s Department cannot burn them without the approval of the Council and several other authorities, including the Chief Medical Department and the Mayor. The Municipal Commissioner could not be contacted for her comments.

(Courtesy: Daily News)

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