Civil Intelligence Front alleges $3M fraud in police STF vehicle deal

Colombo, Sept. 2 (Daily Mirror) - The Civil Intelligence Front today alleged that a serious fraud amounting to USD 3 million took place in 2017 during the import of Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs) for the Police Special Task Force (STF).

Convener of the Front, Sanjaya Mahawatte, told that in Colombo that the alleged fraud was carried out with the involvement of the then Secretary of the Ministry of Law, Order and Southern Development, along with a senior STF officer. He said a formal complaint with supporting documents and evidence will be lodged with the Commission to Investigate Bribery or Corruption.

According to Mahawatte, the procurement process for six APCs intended for UN peacekeeping operations was overseen by the Ministry Secretary, who also chaired the procurement committee. Former STF head Athula Daulagala allegedly coordinated the process and recommended that a particular private firm be appointed as the Sri Lankan representative of the Indian company awarded the tender.

He further claimed that the selected Indian company had no prior experience in manufacturing or importing Buffel-type APCs. He described the tender process as irregular, noting that influencing the appointment of a local representative during procurement was unlawful.

Mahawatte alleged that the imported vehicles were defective, frequently required repairs, and were not properly utilized by the STF despite the multimillion-dollar expenditure.

He also revealed that an email sent by a woman claiming to be Dulani Wijeweera, daughter of Jagath Wijeweera, included bank details and requests for money transfers linked to the Sri Lankan representative company. The firm allegedly financed her overseas expenses.

In addition, the Civil Intelligence Front claimed that €60,000 was misused in the name of another woman connected to the company, raising further suspicions of money laundering.