Bold claims of abuse, intimidation, and privilege misuse have triggered fresh questions over power, accountability, and conduct inside Sri Lanka’s Parliament.
SJB MP Sujeewa Senasinghe has lodged a formal complaint with the Secretary General of Parliament Kushani Rohanadheera, calling for an official investigation into the conduct of Chameera Gallage, the private secretary to Speaker Jagath Wickramaratne.
The complaint stems from an alleged incident in which a parliamentary reception officer was verbally abused and threatened. According to reports, the situation escalated after the officer who answered a phone call from the Speaker’s private secretary failed to recognize his identity.
Angered by this, Gallage is alleged to have summoned the officer to his office, accessed his personal employment files, and subjected him to verbal intimidation. What has intensified concern is the claim that the Speaker himself was present during the incident.
MP Senasinghe has stressed that neither the Speaker nor his private secretary has any legal authority to access personal files of parliamentary staff. He emphasized that such powers rest solely with the Parliamentary Secretariat, warning that any breach undermines institutional discipline and employee rights.
Beyond this episode, further allegations have surfaced. Among complaints reportedly made to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption by suspended Deputy Secretary General Waminda Kularatne is a claim that the Speaker’s private secretary obtained food from Parliament without proper payment.
As scrutiny deepens, the controversy has renewed debate over abuse of authority, workplace conduct, and the growing perception of impunity surrounding the Speaker’s chair.
