Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe has informed the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) through his legal counsel that he will appear before the Commission on 28 April to make a statement regarding his recent remarks on a corruption case involving MP Chamara Sampath Dassanayake.

Wickremesinghe was initially scheduled to appear before the Commission today (25 April), following a prior postponement from the original date of 17 April due to his unavailability.

The Commission is seeking a statement from Wickremesinghe over a public comment he made concerning the bribery charges filed against MP Dassanayake. The statement in question reportedly caused a halt in the investigation.

MP Dassanayake, the former Chief Minister of the Uva Provincial Council, was arrested by CIABOC on allegations of causing a loss of Rs. 17.3 million to the state by prematurely withdrawing fixed deposits held by the Council in 2016. Wickremesinghe, however, claimed the withdrawal was made in compliance with a circular issued by the Treasury Secretary, with the approval of then President Maithripala Sirisena. The circular reportedly instructed that government funds and allocations should not be held in fixed deposits but spent within the same fiscal year or returned to the Treasury.

CIABOC sources said the veracity of Wickremesinghe’s statement could significantly impact the case against Dassanayake. Although the Commission retains the authority to proceed with legal action regardless, it has decided to obtain a formal statement from Wickremesinghe before taking further steps.

The Commission had even expressed readiness to visit Wickremesinghe at his residence to record his statement, highlighting the importance of his testimony in the case, according to The Sunday Times.