News

Senior civil servant arrested over US$ 6.9 mn. fertiliser scam

Published

2 weeks ago

April 29, 2025

editor

Uva Provincial Council Chief Secretary and former Additional Secretary to the Agriculture State Ministry, Mahesh Lasantha Gammanpila who was arrested yesterday by the Bribery Commission in connection with a financial fraud involving the import of organic fertiliser has been remanded.

Gammanpila’s arrest is linked to allegations over a controversial organic fertiliser import deal where while he was serving as Additional Secretary at the Agriculture State Ministry, he had instructed the re-opening of suspended Letters of Credit to facilitate the import of substandard organic fertiliser from a Chinese company named Qingdao Seawin Biotech in 2021.

He was arrested by officials of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) yesterday (28) on charges of incurring a loss of US$ 6.9 million to the Government through the re-opening of suspended Letters of Credit to import a substandard stock of organic fertiliser from the Chinese company in question which resulted in the payment of 75 percent of the first shipment stock of fertiliser amounting to US$ 6.9 million.

Having been produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday, Gammanpila was ordered to be remanded until May 05 by the Magistrate.

Mahesh Gammanpila, who is also serving as President of the Sri Lanka Administrative Service Association is a longstanding prominent State Official in the country’s civil service. His arrest has marked a significant development in the broader investigations carried out by the CIABOC into corruption and state sector management.

(dailynews.lk)

(Except for the headline, this story, originally published by dailynews.lk has not been edited by SLM staff)

News

Mahindananda files anticipatory bail petition over bribery case

Published

2 hours ago

May 14, 2025

editor

Former Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage has filed a petition before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court today (May 14), seeking anticipatory bail against his possible arrest by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

The application has been filed over his possible arrest over the importation of a shipment of substandard organic fertilizer during the tenure of the previous government.

Following the submission of the petition, Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali issued a notice to the Bribery Commission, directing it to present its position regarding the matter to the court on May 19.

News

Youth Affairs Ministry denies links to NYSCO courses

Published

2 hours ago

May 14, 2025

editor

The Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports has issued an official statement over the ministry’s name being used by courses and programmes of the National Youth Services Cooperative (NYSCO).

The ministry states that NYSCO has been unauthorizedly using its name and the official state emblem to promote their courses and while using them in the relevant certificates as well.

The ministry says that they have also appointed a separate committee to investigate the issue, on the directives of the COPE committee.

The Ministry of Sports and Youth Affairs further reiterated that it is not affiliated with any of the courses or programmes offered by NYSCO.

The full statement issued in this regard, is as follows :

තරුණ_කටයුතු_සහ_ක්_රීඩා_අමාත්_යාංශය Download

News

Divisional Secretariats to disburse financial assistance for Kotmale bus accident victims

Published

2 hours ago

May 14, 2025

editor

On the instructions of President Anura Kumara Disanayake, the funds allocated from the President’s Fund for those who lost their lives in the recent bus accident in the Garandi Ella area, Kotmale have now been forwarded to the relevant Divisional Secretariats.

Accordingly, a sum of Rs. 1 million will be provided for each individual who lost their life in the accident, and the funds will be handed over to their respective family members.

These funds have been released to the Divisional Secretariats of the following areas -Tissamaharama, Lunugamvehera, Welimada, Haldummulla, Ella, Kundasale, Bamunakotuwa, Paduwasnuwara West, Polpithigama, Wanathawilluwa, Chilaw, Buttala, Thanamalwila, Wellawaya, Kanthale and Rambewa where the 22 individuals who lost their lives in the accident were residents.

(President’s Media Division)