By The Supreme Court’s (SC) majority judgment has significant implications for the Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC), which is currently investigating certain aspects of the economic crisis. The judgment has determined that the tax revisions made by then-President Gotabaya Rajapaksa in December 2019 were a major factor in the economic crisis, and it has also placed responsibility on then-Finance Minister Basil Rajapaksa for the crisis.
These findings raise questions about the PSC’s investigation, which is being led by SLPP General Secretary Sagara Kariyawasam, a close confidant of Basil Rajapaksa. Some have alleged that the PSC is only interested in clearing Basil Rajapaksa of any responsibility for the crisis and that its terms of reference have been structured to that end.
The SC’s judgment suggests that the PSC may not be conducting a comprehensive investigation into the economic crisis and that it may be biased in favour of the SLPP.
