Sri Lanka's COPE questions 68 bank accounts at Peradeniya University

Sri Lanka's Parliament's Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE) has launched a detailed inquiry into the University of Peradeniya's financial management, focusing on the persistent operation of 68 bank accounts and numerous other funds. The committee expressed strong concerns over accounts remaining open long after project completion and a general lack of centralized monitoring of these funds.

Further scrutiny fell upon the disbursement of research allowances. It was revealed that 59 non-academic and executive staff members received these allowances without the necessary approval from the Research Management Committee or any submitted research reports. Alarmingly, 28 of these individuals had not presented their research findings even by June 30, 2023.

COPE emphasized the importance of using research allowances strictly for research purposes and stressed the need for proper research proposals, progress reports, and final reports according to established procedures. The committee firmly stated that while encouraging research is vital, using these allowances as a form of additional salary is unacceptable.

The inquiry also covered payments and existing positions made without the approval of the university's Management Services Department (DMS). COPE instructed the university to legally resolve all positions and payments that do not comply with state financial regulations and rules. These discussions occurred during a COPE meeting chaired by MP Dr. Nishantha Samarawira, reviewing the university's 2023 and 2024 audit reports.