The Bar Council has unanimously called for Kaushalya Navaratne, PC, to resign from his position as the President of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL). He has also been instructed not to exercise the powers and functions of the office.
In the wake of this decision, Anura Meddegoda, PC, has been elected Deputy President, succeeding Nalinda Indatissa, who recently resigned.
A Special Committee appointed by the BASL has released a critical report on the association’s dealings with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA). The investigation found that Navaratne, PC, failed to maintain the expected level of transparency, ultimately breaching the trust placed in him as President.
The report highlights Navaratne’s primary role in managing the contractual arrangements, including the selection of resource persons and researchers, a process marked by a significant lack of transparency. The Committee found that Navaratne handled nearly all aspects of the contract without adhering to the standards of openness required in dealings of such importance.
The report further underscores that Navaratne’s leadership position carried an obligation to ensure transparent procedures, particularly given the substantial financial implications of the JICA contract. The findings criticize his failure to uphold this duty, calling his approach to the contract’s management insufficiently open and accountable.
The BASL Executive Committee is expected to convene soon to discuss the report’s implications and determine the next steps to address the issues raised.
