Did only 16 MPs declare their assets and liabilities, and weren’t there JVP members among them?
FactSeeker confirms that the posts shared with the statement "assets have been declared by 16 members of the entire Parliament. There is not a single MP in the JVP...!" are false.
by Anonymous |
August 14, 2024
A number of mainstream media outlets have reported on the number of MPs who have not provided asset statements in the last few days.
Meanwhile, Factseeker drew attention to social media posts that said, “only 16 MPs have submitted asset statements and none of the MPs representing the JVP are among them”.
The referred social media posts are attached below,
The posts carried headlines claiming there were only 16 Members of Parliament (MPs) who had declared their assets and liabilities.
We also observed that some of these social media posts were accompanied by the following link of the transparency international’s official website.
Upon accessing it, it was revealed that the assets and liabilities statements of only 17 former and current MPs were displayed.
Further, among the asset statements mentioned in it, the assets and liabilities statements for the year 2023/2024 were submitted only by A. Sumanthiran, an MP representing the TNA.
To verify the number of MPs who have given statements of assets and liabilities, FactSeeker checked the official website of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
The following table prepared on the basis of the information provided to the Commission up to 30.06.2024 was brought to our attention.
Out of the 169 MPs who are required to file statements of assets, 116 have given their statements and 53 have not been provided till 30.06.2024.
Further investigations revealed that the statements of assets and liabilities of persons, including government officials who were to declare assets and liabilities in the year 2023/2024 in accordance with the provisions of the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023, have been made public on the official website of CIABOC: http://ads.ciaboc.lk
FactSeeker learns that the three MPs Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Harini Amarasooriya and Vijitha Herath representing the National People’s Party (formerly known as JVP) had submitted their assets and liabilities statements.
Accordingly, FactSeeker confirms that the posts shared with the statement “assets have been declared by 16 members of the entire Parliament. There is not a single MP in the JVP…!” are false.
