Former Western Province Provincial Health Minister Angage Jagath Thilakasiri Perera has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over alleged bribery.
He is due to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate, the commission said, according to the Daily Mirror.
Hiru News reported the arrest was made on Tuesday (22) in connection with an ongoing investigation, referring to him by the shorter form Jagath Angage.
Update: released on bail
Perera was granted bail later on Tuesday after being produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, Hiru News reported. The report does not state the bail terms or the next court date.
A second CIABOC arrest the same day
The arrest is one of two the commission made on Tuesday. CIABOC also detained a former Uva Provincial Council development officer — previously private secretary to ex-State Minister Chamara Sampath Dassanayake — over an alleged Rs. 8.1 million bribe linked to phosphate exports.
Both fall on the day CIABOC’s Director General told an IMF panel in Washington that corruption was among the causes of Sri Lanka’s 2022 economic collapse.
Not reported
Neither outlet states what the alleged bribe concerned, its value, when the conduct is said to have occurred, which term of provincial office it relates to, or which party Perera served with. No charges have been filed, and he has not been convicted of any offence.
