Chairman of the Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE), Nishantha Samaraweera, today (13) requested that disciplinary action be taken against two male officials and a female officer who, he alleged, had shown contempt towards both COPE and Parliament.

Raising a privilege issue in Parliament, Samaraweera said the officials should be summoned before the Committee on Ethics and Privileges for appropriate action.

He alleged that former Director of the Construction Industry Development Authority (CIDA), Susanta Liyanarachchi, had held a media briefing in which he publicly criticised the conduct of COPE, describing its proceedings as inappropriate and indecent, and had even challenged its recommendations.

Samaraweera said such conduct constituted a violation of the Parliamentary Powers and Privileges Act. He added that COPE had already requested the CIDA chairman to take necessary action against Liyanarachchi, stressing that the matter was serious enough to warrant punishment by the Supreme Court.