An assistant additional secretary attached to Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Public Administration has been arrested over an alleged financial fraud involving more than Rs. 22.7 million, police said.
The 56-year-old suspect, a resident of Nedimala, Dehiwala, was taken into custody on Thursday by the Criminal Investigation Department following a complaint lodged by a Colombo-based medical doctor.
Investigators allege that the official obtained the money by promising to secure a luxury vehicle at a concessionary price, claiming it would be sourced from vehicles scheduled for auction at a port facility.
Police said the funds were collected about seven months ago, when the suspect was serving at the Ports and Civil Aviation Authority.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the vehicle was not delivered and the money was not returned. The complainant reported the matter to police in December.
The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court. (Newswire)
