Aswasuma Fund double payment claims near Rs. 500 million have triggered calls for a parliamentary probe into Asväsuma disbursements.
Aswasuma Fund double payment allegations involving nearly Rs. 500 million have triggered a call for an urgent parliamentary investigation into the Welfare Benefits Board.
The Free Lawyers organization has issued a statement saying information has been received regarding an additional payment of just under Rs. 500 million made through the Welfare Benefits Board.
The organization has requested that Parliament conduct an investigation into the alleged additional payment, warning that the use of state funds without a proper system of checks and balances amounts to crime, corruption, and fraud.
In a letter addressed to the Speaker, the Free Lawyers organization stressed that Parliament has financial authority under Article 148 of the Constitution. It said answers must be sought immediately over how the money was released and who authorized the payments.
The organization questioned how many of the approximately 180,000 families expected to receive payments in April had received amounts higher than their entitlement or double payments.
It also asked whether investigations had begun into the scale of double payments reported in the Kegalle, Monaragala, and Kurunegala districts.
The letter further called for the total number of beneficiaries who received double payments or additional payments above the entitled amount to be identified.
It also demanded clarity on the total amount of money allegedly disbursed irresponsibly to Asväsuma beneficiaries without verification and beyond the approved entitlement.
The Free Lawyers organization asked which officials made payments outside the standard procedures and financial delegation of the Welfare Benefits Board.
It also questioned who the officer, officers, or commissioner appointed as a political appointee to manage the affairs of the Welfare Benefits Board was.
The organization asked whether a preliminary investigation had been conducted under a formal authority into what it described as waste, misuse, or corruption involving such a large amount of public money by politically appointed individuals.
It further questioned whether the officials involved had been delegated financial authority under Financial Regulation 135. If so, it asked which officer or authority had granted such powers.
The letter also asked whether the Treasury had conducted a preliminary investigation into the release of the additional funds and whether responsible Treasury officials had been identified.
If no such investigation had taken place, the organization questioned whether this was another hacker attack, a mistake, or the result of political appointments at the Ministry of Finance and the Treasury involving individuals without experience or understanding of office procedures.
What happens next could be critical, as the request now places pressure on Parliament to examine how Aswasuma funds were handled and whether public money was released without proper safeguards.
