The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) has informed the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday (Sep. 16) that several senior officials of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) are scheduled to be arrested soon over corruption allegations.
CIABOC officers told Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama that the arrests would target a group of former SLBFE bigwigs who served during the tenure of Manusha Nanayakkara as Labour and Foreign Employment Minister.
They reported these facts during the hearing of a case filed against Shan Yahampath Gunaratne, who was the former private secretary of Nanayakkara.
Gunaratne faces charges under the Public Property Act over allegedly accepting a bribe of Rs.4.3 million from a selected institution for an outbound training.
On this basis, CIABOC requested the court to remand him until the conclusion of the trial.
Appearing on behalf of the suspect, President’s Counsel Nalinda Indatissa, assisted by Attorneys including Pradeep Gamage, objected to the request, arguing that his client had already been produced and released on bail in a similar matter.
He urged the court not to allow an unfair process.
After considering submissions, Chief Magistrate Bodaragama rejected the CIABOC’s request and ordered the suspect to be released on 02 additional sureties of Rs.01 million each.
Meanwhile, the CIABOC presented before the court, as case productions, the sum of Rs.01 million allegedly demanded by the suspect.
