The Bribery Commission yesterday arrested a Development Officer of the Uva Provincial Council, who had served as private secretary to former State Minister of Primary Industries Chamara Sampath Dassanayake, on charges of accepting a bribe amounting to Rs. 8.1 million.

According to the Bribery Commission, the arrest made last evening, was linked to allegations that the suspect facilitated phosphate exports exclusively to three companies selected outside formal procedures by Lanka Phosphate Company.

The Bribery Commission alleges that the suspect demanded and received bribe money from the companies in exchange for assisting them to secure the necessary export permits.

The suspect is scheduled to be produced before the Badulla Magistrate’s Court for further legal proceedings. (Newswire)

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Investigations have confirmed that the Private Secretary of former Minister Lohan Ratwatte had died by suicide, the Police said. 

Addressing the media, Police Spokesman DIG Nihal Thalduwa said that the 50-year-old man was found with gunshot injuries at a building close to Ratwatte’s Office in the Mahaiyawa area.

Stating that he had served as Ratwatte’s Private Secretary at that particular office, DIG Thalduwa said that the man had shot himself with the official weapon that had been issued to him.

“The weapon had been issued to him with a licence. It has been found that he had renewed the licence in January this year. He had shot himself at the office premises and had died upon admission to the hospital last afternoon,” he said. 

The Police Spokesman revealed that the deceased is a 50-year-old resident of Werellagama and that the Katugastota Police are conducting investigations into the incident. (Newswire)

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