In a landmark ruling, the Right to Information (RTI) Commission of Sri Lanka has directed the Bank of Ceylon (BOC) to release a comprehensive set of documents relating to financial transactions, loans, tender procedures, and contracts involving the Informatics Group and the former Chairman of the bank, Mr. Gamini Wickramasinghe, spanning the years 2007 to 2012. The directive follows an appeal filed by M.R.Y. Riffay, Convenor of the People’s Movement Against Corruption, whose initial request for information under the RTI Act was partially rejected or ignored by BOC.

The request focused on whether BOC had awarded loans and contracts to the Informatics Group and Mr. Wickramasinghe and his family during his tenure, the details of ATM machine purchases and installations, IT-related contracts, and the issuing of debentures and foreign syndicated loans. BOC responded with blanket denials for a majority of the queries, often claiming “no information in possession” or citing Section 5(1)(a) (invasion of privacy) and Section 5(1)(b)(ii) (harm to international relations) of the RTI Act.

However, the Commission ruled that BOC failed to prove the applicability of these exemptions and had not demonstrated that the requested information was not under its “possession, custody, or control.” The Commission found that the public interest in transparency, particularly regarding the use of public funds, outweighed any potential harm from disclosure. It also noted that some information appeared in BOC’s own annual reports, contradicting claims of non-possession.

The Commission ordered the release of all requested information by December 31, 2024, warning that failure to comply would result in legal action under Section 39 of the RTI Act. This decision reaffirms the RTI Act’s intent to promote accountability in public institutions and uphold citizens’ rights to scrutinize state-managed finances.

Read the Order