High-profile corruption arrests continue across public sector

By Darshana Sanjeewa Balasuriya

A number of former top government officials are now under the radar of the Bribery Commission over alleged corruption, as the Commission intensifies its probe into the misuse of public resources.
In the latest development, a former General Manager of Sri Lanka Railways and a former Executive Director of the Sri Lanka State Engineering Corporation were arrested last morning by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption on alleged corruption charges.
The suspects, Sumathipala Mahanama Abeywickrama, former General Manager of Sri Lanka Railways, and Sarathchandra Gunaratne Jayathilaka, former Executive Director of the State Engineering Corporation, were taken into custody after arriving at the Commission to record statements.
According to the Bribery Commission, Abeywickrama was arrested for allegedly altering a disciplinary order issued by the then General Manager of Railways, B.A.P. Ariyaratne, against a train driver, I.L.K. Dissanayake, who had been ordered to be dismissed with immediate effect. The former GM is accused of changing the decision, thereby acting in a manner that benefited the employee.
Meanwhile, Jayathilaka was arrested for allegedly causing a financial loss of Rs. 1.67 million to the State Engineering Corporation by using its employees and property to renovate the United National Party headquarters, “Sirikotha,” without following proper procedures — resulting in undue benefit to the party.
Both suspects were produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court and released on bail.
The arrests come just days after several public servants and former administrators were taken into custody over separate corruption probes.
On October 31, former Chairman of the Sri Lanka State Trading (General) Corporation (STC), Hussain Ahamed Bhaila, was arrested over allegations of importing 50 temporary storage units (Cocoon) to the Corporation in 2015 without necessity, and in violation of the prescribed procurement procedures, thereby causing a loss of Rs. 99,679,799.70 to the Corporation and an equivalent gain to external parties.
Former Acting Director General of the Office for Reparations and present Additional Secretary to the Ministry of Justice, Sepalika Samankumari, was arrested by the Bribery Commission on charges of corruption and criminal misappropriation of funds on October 8. She was arrested for allegedly aiding and abetting the criminal misappropriation of state funds, in relation to a case filed against former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa.
In September, the CIABOC arrested former Director General of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), Sampath Sumeda Pujitha Ratnayake and former Director (Lands) and Internal Assessment Committee Chairman (retired), Koswatta Liyanage Weerawansha Perera, over corruption allegations committed by causing a loss of Rs. 29,519,666.16 to the UDA during the leasing of a 55.5 perch land at Mayura Place, Colombo 05, belonging to UDA.