Did NPP Members of Parliament Fail to Declare Their Assets?

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The emerging political party, National People’s Power (NPP), has become the target of numerous disinformation and misinformation campaigns. Our investigation focuses on specific social media posts falsely claiming that none of the NPP members of parliament have declared their assets. In reality, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has published asset declarations for NPP members, contradicting the misleading claims that were circulated. This investigation highlights the ongoing efforts to discredit the NPP through false narratives.

Social Media Posts

Social media posts claim that only 16 members of parliament (MPs) declared their assets, and none of the National People’s Power (NPP) members are among them.

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We decided to check whether these true or not,

Fact Check:

Legal Background:

The requirement for asset declaration by public officials in Sri Lanka is governed by the 1975 Asset Declaration Act (amended by the 1988 No. 74 Act) and the more recent 2023 No. 9 Anti-Corruption Act.

According to 2023 anti corruption act , a broad range of public officials, including the President, Prime Minister, and Members of Parliament, are required to declare their assets in addition to the asset declaration requirements of old acts.

NPP Members' Asset Declarations:

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) is responsible for publishing asset declarations submitted by MPs and other officials.

Contrary to the social media claim, the asset declarations for NPP MPs Anura Kumara Dissanayake, Harini Amarasuriya, and Vijitha Herath were indeed submitted to the relevant authorities and are publicly available on the CIABOC website. These declarations pertain to the year 2024.Those documents can be reached here,here and here

Transparency International's Role:

Some social media posts reference a list compiled by Transparency International (TI), which allegedly excludes the NPP MPs.

TI clarified that their list is part of a voluntary project launched in 2019, encouraging MPs to declare their assets as a measure to increase transparency and accountability. However, participation in this project is not mandatory under the law, unlike the compulsory submissions required by the Anti-Corruption Act.

Upcoming Presidential Election:

The 2023 Anti-Corruption Act mandates that all candidates for the upcoming presidential election must submit their asset declarations to the Election Commission when filing nominations. The Election Commission then forwards these declarations to CIABOC for publication.

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Conclusion:

The claim that none of the NPP members declared their assets is false. All three NPP MPs have submitted their asset declarations as required by law, and these have been published by CIABOC. The discrepancy arises from the voluntary nature of the Transparency International project, which does not legally require MPs to participate. The claim on social media misrepresents the facts by conflating the voluntary TI list with the mandatory legal requirement.