Top Sri Lankan official in the dock over mega Colombo deal
A highly influential Sri Lankan official holding key positions in public and private companies is in the dock over alleged pay-offs in a mega mixed development project.
Authorities are investigating the amount of commissions this official is alleged to have taken in ensuring the project, in the heart of Colombo’s business district, is approved without a fuss.
The project owners are yet to settle the full rental payment to the government for leasing the land.
Authoritative Government sources said that Urban Development Authority officials were summoned by the Finance Ministry on Friday for discussions on this project and alleged kick-backs. Ministry officials were also probing some alleged tampering of a surveillance system of a regulatory body.
Transactions in other high positions that this official holds and held in the past are also under investigation.
The alleged graft was discovered after some officials working in the project, quit and ‘spilled the beans’ to highly-placed government authorities over the commission payments. The official is likely to be ‘eased’ out of his current public positions though his colleagues say that he wants to quit, to concentrate on core areas of his expertise.
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