News
Rs. 1.5 m. almost approved to build retaining wall at bogus address
A massive fraud was averted by the Kandy Municipal Council (KMC) Opposition Leader Neranjan Wijeyaratne at the Finance Committee stage of a KMC meeting.
Twenty one members of the KMC were allegedly taken for a ride by an official of the Council. It is alleged that this officer was seeking an estimated Rs. 1, 465,500 to construct a retaining wall at a private dwelling with a fictitious assessment number.
Except for two members, others had agreed to give Rs. 100,000 each from his allocation for building the retaining wall at this private dwelling, it is alleged.
At the Finance Committee stage Opposition Leader Neranjan Wijeyeratne prevented it being placed on the agenda of the Council meeting. By this time most members had agreed to allocate one hundred thousand rupees each for this retaining wall in the air.
The question that has now arisen is who originated the allocation of monies for a non-existing assessment number in the Council. Had the Council approved these monies, a serious issue would have arisen as this particular request was for constructing a retaining wall at a private dwelling.