Power and Energy Minister Kanchana Wijesekera told Parliament that JVP lawyer Sunil Watagala had allegedly taken Rs. 5.5 million to appear for court cases of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) employees who protested against the Electricity Bill resorting to trade union action causing inconvenience to the public.
The Minister said that the JVP who took the employees to the streets for strikes had said that they will appear free for legal proceedings on behalf of them, but money had been allegedly collected.
The Minister said that the CEB administration has taken disciplinary action against 62 CEB employees who engaged in trade union action disrupting the services of the CEB.
He said that the JVP representatives had collected money saying that they would appear on behalf of the employees who were suspended from work. The Minister also said that it should be investigated whether the JVP, which took the employees to the streets would use the money for legal proceedings or whether it will be used for the party’s political activities.
Minister Wijesekera was responding to a question raised by MP Premnath C. Dolawatte whether a group of employees of the CEB had been removed from office.
