The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has arrested the Additional Secretary to the Ministry of National Integration, Rajapaksa Pathirage Sepalika Saman Kumari, today (08).
The arrest is linked to an incident where she allegedly approved a payment of Rs. 8.85 million as compensation to Monaragala District Parliamentarian Shashindra Rajapaksa, while serving as the Acting Director General of the Office of Compensation.
According to the Bribery Commission, by authorizing the said payment, the suspect is accused of aiding and abetting the commission of corruption and the offence of criminal misappropriation of public property, by inducing officials of the Compensation Office to execute the payment.
The Commission further stated that the Cabinet had appointed a special committee of officers on May 22, 2022, to evaluate and facilitate the compensation payment to MP Shashindra Rajapaksa for a government-owned property under the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority.
However, the committee rejected the payment on November 1, 2023.
Despite this decision, the suspect, while functioning as the Acting Director General of the Office of Compensation, had allegedly approved the compensation payment to Manoji Hemalal Ekanayake upon the request of the former minister, the Bribery Commission said.
The arrested suspect is expected to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.
