ECONOMYNEXT – Amid public grumbling over delay in Sri Lanka President Anura Kumara Dissanayake authorities’s election guarantees on political accountability, the authorities have initiated a collection of arrests focusing on outstanding political figures accused of corruption and misappropriation.
The crackdown underscores a dedication to addressing long-standing problems with governance and restoring public belief, analysts say.
President Dissanayake’s ruling Nationwide Individuals’s Energy earlier than the final 12 months’s presidential election promised investigations right into a raft of previous alleged corrupt offers, murders, and Easter Sunday assault earlier than holding the flawed doers accountable.
Nonetheless, delays in fulfilling such guarantees resulted in public grumbling whereas opposition events began a marketing campaign to discredit the federal government for mendacity in its election marketing campaign.
Below stress, the authorities below the brand new authorities have been capable of arrest at the very least seven key political figures together with prime ex-Cupboard Ministers and a former Chief Minister over varied expenses.
The arrests have led to blended reactions. Many individuals view the actions by the authorities as essential steps towards eradicating corruption; some supporters of the accused argue that the strikes are politically motivated.
These developments mark a pivotal second in Sri Lanka’s political panorama, reflecting a broader push for integrity and accountability throughout the nation’s governance constructions.
Hera are the main points of arrests:
Keheliya Rambukwella: Counterfeit Drug Scandal
Former Well being Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, who was arrested in February 2024 over allegations of procuring counterfeit intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) medication throughout his tenure, has been detained amid the continued court docket circumstances over the scandal.
The scandal concerned bypassing commonplace tender procedures, resulting in the importation of substandard drugs.
Investigations revealed that cast paperwork had been used for customs clearance, leading to a misappropriation of funds amounting to 130 million rupees.
Final week, former cricketer Ramith Rambukwella, the one son of the previous well being minister additionally was remanded by the Fee to Examine Allegations of Bribery and Corruption (CIABOC)
Prasanna Ranaweera: State Land Misuse
Former State Minister Prasanna Ranaweera was remanded Might 7, 2025 after evading arrests for months for allegedly facilitating the unauthorized sale of state-owned land in Kiribathgoda.
The land, designated for public development, was reportedly offered to a non-public purchaser, violating the Public Property Act.
Ranaweera had been evading arrest and is an accused within the Kiribathgoda state property fraud case during which former Minister Mervyn Silva can also be accused.
Mervyn Silva: Land Deal
Former Minister Mervyn Silva has additionally been implicated within the state land misuse case alongside Prasanna Ranaweera – a fraudulent scheme associated to a plot of land in Kiribathgoda.
The land, measuring 6 acres, 3 roods, and 11 perches, was transferred to the Kelaniya Divisional Secretariat for the brand new city plan.
The Kelaniya Pradeshiya Sabha was liable for creating and implementing the city plan, which included allocating 0.2137 hectares for a youngsters’s park and a water approach.
It was uncovered that Mervyn Silva, together with three others, cast paperwork to promote the land for 3 million rupees.
Mahindananda Aluthgamage: Substandard Fertilizer Import
Former Agriculture Minister Mahindananda Aluthgamage below Gotabaya Rajapaksa Presidency was remanded till Might 26 by the Colombo Justice of the Peace’s Court docket in reference to the controversial fee made to a Chinese language agency for a consignment of substandard natural fertiliser in 2021.
His arrest warrant was issued upon a request made by the CIABIC, pertaining to his alleged involvement within the procurement of substandard natural fertiliser throughout his tenure as Minister of Agriculture within the earlier administration.
Chamara Sampath Dassanayake: Monetary Misconduct
Present Member of Parliament Chamara Sampath Dassanayake was arrested in March 2025 on expenses stemming from his tenure as Chief Minister of Uva Province.
He faces allegations of misappropriating 2.5 million rupees by redirecting funds from state banks to his basis and personally receiving 1 million rupees supposed for the provincial council.
Moreover, he’s accused of inflicting a 23 million rupee loss to the federal government by withdrawing all mounted deposits of the provincial council after a financial institution refused his request for added funds.
S.M. Ranjith: Gasoline Allowance Misappropriation
Former North Central Province Chief Minister S.M. Ranjith and his non-public secretary Shanthi Chandrasena — the partner of former Minister S.M. Chandrasena — had been sentenced for 16 years of rigorous imprisonment after being discovered responsible of corruption expenses.
Each convicts had been additionally ordered to pay a superb of Rs. 200,000 every along with their jail expenses.
The 2 accused had been convicted on expenses filed by CIABOC. The case was initiated based mostly on allegations that because the Chief Minister of the North Central Province, Ranjith facilitated his non-public secretary unlawfully acquiring a gas allowance of two.68 million rupees for greater than two 12 months between September 2012, and December 2014.
Regardless of already receiving a salary-based gas allowance, the second accused allegedly obtained an extra gas allowance for her official automobile by means of undue affect. The Bribery Fee prosecuted the case based mostly on these expenses.
S.M. Ranjith is a brother of former Minister of Lands S.M. Chandrasena, a strong cupboard minister below each former presidents Mahinda and Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Duminda Dissanayake – Utilizing Unlawful Weapon
Former Minister Duminda Dissanayake was arrested over the detection of an assembled T-56 weapon with no licence below the Firearms Act.
The arrest got here after police discovered that the actual weapon with gold plate had been assembled, and one of many former minister’s workers had handed it over to a lady within the neighbourhood. (Colombo/Might 25/2025)
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