Controversial former Commissioner General of the Inland Revenue Department, A.A. Wijepala has since April been holding the position of Chairman/CEO of the National Insurance Trust Fund, set up under President Mahinda Rajapaksa's 2006 budget proposals, The Sunday Times FT learns.

The agency has taken over the public servants' 'Agrahara' insurance scheme as well. When asked to comment on public officers who were allegedly involved in corrupt practices being appointed like this, former Chairman of Committee on Public Enterprises (COPE ) Wijedasa Rajapakse said that despite Mr Wijepala’s chequered history and despite the Public Accounts Committee handing over a report requesting action against the latter for his suspicious conduct in the Rs. 3.57 billion Value Added Tax (VAT) fraud saga, no action was taken by the government.

“The very same person now is appointed as the head of the National Insurance Trust Fund,” he said.
The Agrahara medical insurance scheme was initiated by the Public Administration Ministry many years back and was a collaboration with the Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation to improve health facilities of public servants.