The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) arrested Maheel Senaratne, a former chairman of the Ceylon Fisheries Corporation, on Tuesday over alleged irregularities in procurement for fish sales centres built across the island.
Senaratne chaired the corporation from 2010 to 2012, the period the allegations cover. Hiru News gave his full name as Hewa Halambage Maheel Priyadarshi Senaratne.
The allegation
Ada Derana reported that the arrest concerns allegations that proper procurement procedures were not followed in establishing and maintaining fish sales centres islandwide. Daily Mirror described it as alleged mishandling of procurement activities carried out for those centres.
Hiru News, reporting in Sinhala, gave the most specific account: it said the work of building and repairing the outlets was approved directly for two selected companies without the required procurement process being followed. Citing CIABOC, Hiru said the arrest was made on a charge of corruption through influencing officials to assign the work to those two firms.
Bail granted, then withdrawn
Senaratne was produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court later on Tuesday and initially granted bail, Ada Derana reported. The court ordered his release on two surety bails of Rs. 2.5 million each and imposed a travel ban barring him from leaving the country.
He was unable to meet those conditions and was subsequently remanded, Ada Derana said, citing its court reporter. Daily Mirror also reported that he was remanded after failing to fulfil the bail conditions.
In its later filings, Ada Derana renders his first name as “Mahil” rather than the “Maheel” used in its initial report.
Context
Ada Derana and Hiru News both identified Senaratne as a brother of former Fisheries Minister Rajitha Senaratne. Daily Mirror did not mention the relationship.
Rajitha Senaratne was himself indicted in the Colombo High Court earlier this month in a separate matter. The two cases are distinct and this report does not link them.
The arrest came on the same day the Bribery Commission took former Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella into custody in an unrelated investigation.
An arrest is an investigative step and does not indicate that charges have been filed or that any finding has been made.
