Former Southern Province Chief Secretary Rannulu Chandrasiri de Soysa has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over a procurement deal for chairs, NewsFirst reported.
The arrest relates to the purchase of chairs for voluntary organisations in the Southern Province, funded through Southern Provincial Council member allocations. According to the Bribery Commission, a manufacturing company was selected outside the prescribed procurement process, granting an undue advantage to the institution and causing a financial loss to the State.
A sum of Rs. 16.5 million had been spent in 2019 on the purchase of the chairs under the approval and supervision of the suspect, CIABOC said.
The case adds to a series of arrests and investigations pursued by the anti-graft body in recent months as it examines alleged irregularities in public procurement and the misuse of state funds by officials. Provincial council allocations, intended for community-level projects, have come under particular scrutiny.
De Soysa is expected to be produced before court as the Bribery Commission continues its inquiry into the procurement process and the officials who authorised it.
