Former Minister S.M. Chandrasena has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption.
The former minister was arrested after having reported to the Bribery Commission to record a statement regarding an ongoing investigation today, but the reason for his arrest is unclear.
In April this year, the former minister’s brother, the former North-Central Province Chief Minister S.M. Ranjith, and his wife Shanthini Chandrasena, who served as the latter’s former secretary, were convicted over corruption charges.
On 02 April, the Colombo High Court sentenced S.M. Ranjith and Shanthini Chandrasena each to 16 years of rigorous imprisonment for corruption charges brought by the Bribery Commission.
S.M. Ranjith, while serving as the North Central Province Chief Minister, is accused of making arrangements to allocate fuel for the official vehicle of his private secretary, Shanthini Chandrasena, despite her fuel allowance already being added to her salary.
Shanthini, former minister S.M. Chandrasena’s wife, served as the private secretary to Ranjith during his tenure as Chief Minister from 2012 to 2014.
The Bribery Commission filed a case against Shanthini Chandrasena for allegedly obtaining fuel worth Rs. 2,680,528 and Rs. 5,379,623 through vouchers during this period.
Both she and Ranjith have also been charged with influencing provincial councillors to release two additional vehicles, in addition to the Chief Minister’s two official cars and security vehicle. (Newswire)
