The cash-strapped Colombo municipality wants to spend ten million rupees to buy a luxury car for the newly-appointed special commissioner H. Hemapala.
Apparently angered by the move, Western Province Governor Alavi Moulana said yesterday he would conduct a probe into the matter.
Funds have been sought for the new vehicle from the municipality’s finance committee, despite the Special Commissioner being provided with an almost brand new vehicle bought last year and used by former Deputy Commissioner Badrani Jayawardena who is now the municipal commissioner.
Mr. Hemapala, who was the Commissioner of Local Government of the Western Province, was appointed as Special Commissioner after the council was suspended last month. Retired judge Hector S. Yapa was appointed to probe allegations of corruption in the council.However, Mr. Hemapala denied that Rs. 10 million had been approved for a new vehicle.
“I have been trying to stop various irregularities. Among the steps to be introduced is fixing of a finger scanning machine to mark the arrival and departure of workers, but there is much resistance. The allegations about the vehicle are not correct,” he said.
The council had been running with a bank overdraft amidst a series of allegations of corruption. Among the acts of corruption being probed is a case where an excessive number of metal lamp posts were imported.
In another case, heavy equipment of the council is not being used and instead machinery is being hired on a contract basis on a monthly payment of Rs. 600,000. | 
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