Pivithuru Hela Urumaya (PHU) leader and attorney Udaya Gammanpila has accused the government of misusing public funds, warning that 159 government MPs could face imprisonment by 2029 for diverting state allowances to party activities.
Commenting on MP Dayasiri Jayasekara’s proposal to ban parliamentarians from donating their allowances to party coffers, Gammanpila said there is a legal distinction between using one’s personal salary and spending public funds meant for official duties.
“An MP can freely spend his or her salary, but allowances for offices, fuel, communication, and transport are public funds that must be used only for their designated purposes,” he explained. “For example, money allocated for office maintenance—such as rent, electricity, or equipment—cannot be handed over to a political party. Doing so constitutes misuse of public money.”
Gammanpila emphasized that such actions amount to the misappropriation of public property, which is a non-bailable offence under the law.
“All 159 government MPs involved in this misuse are committing a serious crime. Under the next administration, a special ward in Welikada Prison will have to be reserved for them,” he warned.
