The Communications Department of Parliament announced that three employees have been dismissed after being found guilty of sexually harassing female staff members.
Action on the matter was taken following an investigative process that confirmed the guilt of the employees involved. Subsequently, based on the recommendation of the Secretary-General of Parliament, Kushani Rohanadeera, Speaker of Parliament Jagath Wickramaratne approved their dismissal on 9 January.
Following reports published in newspapers on 30 July and 2 August 2023 regarding incidents of sexual harassment against parliamentary staff during 2021 and 2022, an internal three-member investigative committee was appointed on 4 August 2023. The committee was established under the directives of the former Speaker and was headed by the then Director of Administration, as appointed by the Secretary-General of Parliament.
During the investigations, two parliamentary employees were suspended from service. The committee’s report was submitted to the Secretary-General of Parliament on 23 August 2023 and was subsequently referred to the Attorney General for further guidance.
Based on the Attorney General’s recommendations, the investigation was handed over to the Bureau for the Prevention of Abuse of Children and Women under the directive of the Inspector General of Police. Meanwhile, police investigations led to the arrest of another parliamentary employee, who was suspended from service on 30 January 2024.
Following the filing of charges, the accused officials requested a formal investigation. In response, a legal disciplinary inquiry was conducted in accordance with procedural regulations. For this purpose, retired High Court Judge Kusala Sarojini Weerawardena was appointed to lead the inquiry.
The final report of the disciplinary inquiry was submitted to Secretary-General Kushani Rohanadeera on 23 December 2024. Based on the report, a recommendation was made to the Speaker to dismiss the three employees, with effect from their respective dates of suspension. Acting on this recommendation, the Speaker approved the dismissal, and the employees have now been officially removed from service.
