Major Rs.2 bn fraud uncovered at Sri Lanka BFE
Sri Lanka Bureau for Employment (SLBFE) is facing serious bribery and corruption allegations owing to malpractices due to system manipulations leading to a nearly Rs.2 billion fraud.
A former employee of SLBFE, Roshan Hashim, who held the position of Consultant IT for the Bureau, alleged that this system was manipulated by officials in the SLBFE, leading to a nearly Rs. 2 billion fraud with a major loss of Rs.567 million for the Bureau last year. He told The Sunday Times Business that early last month he complained to the Bribery and Corruption Commission as well as the IGP and the Solicitor General about this scam.
Explaining further, this fraud was done on the training for a first-time domestic worker travelling out of the country, he added. “Each domestic aide going out of the country for the first time on migrant work is mandated to undergo a sort of training for a minimum 25 to 30 days by the SLBFE costing Rs. 75,000. This amount is paid by the agent.The scam is where this amount has been paid to an outside party which is a big issue. This was never paid to the Bureau but to an outside party holding an account at People’s Bank Battaramulla branch. After the account is credited, the SLBFE certifies that the maid has undergone training and is suitable for departure for work. This data of money being collected and a certificate issued has been entered into the system manually.”
He further said that a three-member committee appointed by the SLBFE authorises this data entry. “A committee should include members of the Vocational Training Institute of Sri Lanka, Child Protection Authority etc along with the bureau’s officials. Because they need to verify that the maid has undergone training. But this is not done. The committee never sees these maids.”
Mr. Hashim said that last year 28,000 domestic workers had left the country. “This is how the fraud comes to nearly Rs. 2 billion. In addition, a particular maid leaving the country has to give a family background report. Last year 13,000 maids were entered into the system as having received such a report. We found out from employees that another Rs. 75,000 was charged to these maids to get a family background report. But these reports are also not verified,” he added further.
He also said he handed over a letter to its General Manager to protect the agency from any external forces during the next two weeks.
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