Lalith Weeratunga, Secretary to the President has recommended the use of state intelligence services to deal with corrupt government institutions.

Addressing a gathering at the SLFI late last week, he expressed confidence that the intelligence services could play a pivotal role in combating waste, corruption and irregularities. He said that he wouldn’t mind having an intelligence services operative even at the Presidential Secretariat. Recalling the use of the then National Intelligence Bureau (NIB) by the J. R. Jayewardene administration to monitor state institutions, he said that he recommended a similar set-up as part of the government’s strategy to tackle corruption.