News

Lak Sathosa garlic scam: CID ‘Murder Unit’ intervenes

Published

5 years ago

2021/11/22

Sahan Weerasooriya

Ex-CAA Director questions rationale in probe on Bandula complaint

By Shamindra Ferdinando

Former Executive Director of the Consumer Affairs Authority (CAA) Thushan Gunawardena says the Murder Investigation Unit of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) inquiring into his accusations regarding the massive garlic scam in the state-owned enterprise, Lak Sathosa, wanted to question him. Gunawardena told The Island that the Officer-in-Charge of that unit, Chief Inspector L.D.S.B. Jayasekera had asked him to report to the Murder Investigation Unit today (22) at 9.am.

Gunawardena said that he was quite surprised by the Murder Unit’s intervention at the behest of the IGP C.D. Wickremaratne following a complaint lodged by Trade Minister Bandula Gunawardena. Pointing out that the CID had informed him that he was being dealt with in terms of Code of Criminal Procedure Act (No 15 of 1979) Section 109 (6), Gunawardena said that the Trade Minister himself admitted in Parliament that there had been a garlic scam at Lak Sathosa.

Gunawardena said that the CID had recorded his statement on Oct. 8 in this regard. Responding to another query, Gunawardena pointed out that at the time the CID recorded his statement, over a dozen journalists, including several editors of national newspapers, had been asked to make statements.

Gunawardena reiterated that the top management of Sathosa had brazenly manipulated a Cabinet directive, meant to ensure the steady supply of food items to Sathosa outlets. The Trade Minister couldn’t claim he had not been aware of what was going on at an enterprise under his purview, Gunawardena charged. Several management level persons had been arrested along with outsiders involved in the scam, Gunawardena said, adding that the SLPP government should be ashamed of its pathetic failure to ensure essential items at reasonable prices.

Gunawardena said that 56,000 kilos of garlic, released by Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) to Sathosa, had been sold to a regular Lak Sathosa supplier at Rs 135 a kilo. The Sathosa management had planned to buy back the same consignment at Rs 445 a kilo and then make it available to consumers at about Rs 540 a kilo. The plan had gone awry due to an unexpected raid carried out by the then CAA, under his direction Gunawardena said, adding Sathosa had sold the stock at such a low price on the basis of poor quality in spite of Quality Assurance clearance.

Responding to The Island queries, Gunawardena emphasized that many food consignments had been rerouted the same way. He said that such a massive fraud couldn’t have been carried out without political backing. A container load of orid (undu) had been among the consignments sold the same way, he said, insisting that Sathosa, and a select group of suppliers had been involved in the particular racket. “Politicians cannot be unaware of what is going on.”

Gunawardena asked whether the CID had initiated an inquiry into the recent shocking revelations pertaining to corruption at the state owned Litro Gas. Pointing out that as in the case of Lak Sathosa, the corruption charges were made by a person within the organisation Chairman and CEO of Litro Gas and Litro Terminals Theshara Jayasinghe, Gunawardena said that Parliament should make an urgent intervention. “

Gunawardena also said that the CID had never inquired into his complaints regarding corruption at Lak Sathosa lodged well over a year back.

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Geneva takes up Sallay’s case and govt. ignores opportunity to answer accusations

Published

1 hour ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

Suresh Sallay

The government has chosen not to respond to questions raised by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) regarding the detention of retired Maj. Gen. Suresh Sallay in connection with the ongoing investigations into the 2019 Easter Sunday attacks.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) arrested the ex-official in late February this year. The Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, the Special Rapporteur on the right of everyone to the enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of physical and mental health and the Special Rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers have jointly raised the issue on 20 July, 2026.

Drawing attention of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to what they called alleged arbitrary detention of Sallay, former Director General of the State Intelligence Service (SIS) and former Director of Military Intelligence (DMI), under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), as well as allegations of torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment while in custody, resulting in the grave deterioration of his health, and imminent risks of retaliation through further torture and ill-treatment resulting in irreparable harm, should he be released from hospital and returned to custody, the UN sought the government explanation with a 60-day period.

The UN has stated: “This communication, and any response received from your Excellency’s Government, will be made public via the communications reporting website at the 60 days mark. Should your Excellency’s Government respond within 60 days, both the communication and the response, may be published before the 60 days mark. The communications and responses

will also be made available in the subsequent periodic report to be presented to the Human Rights Council.”

In the absence of the government’s response, the UN posted the letter, dated 20 July, 2026, addressed to President Dissanayake. The full letter can be accessed https://spcommreports.ohchr.org/TMResultsBase/DownLoadPublicCommunicationFile?gId=31125

News

Section of wartime KKS High Security Zone vacated to facilitate economic development in the area

Published

1 hour ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

The Army, last week, vacated an area, within the wartime high security zone in the Jaffna peninsula. The Defence Ministry said that an extent of 187.56 acres of land, belonging to the Cement Corporation in Kankesanthurai, Jaffna, has been released by the military. The released land, located in Grama Niladhari Division J/233, Kankesanthurai West, within the Valikamam North (Tellippalai) Divisional Secretariat Division, had been utilised by the Sri Lanka Army since the middle of 1997.

The release of the 187.56-acre extent forms part of the initiative to make State land available for the proposed investment zone in Kankesanthurai, thereby facilitating future investment and economic development in the area.

News

Lawyer lodges complaint against Govt. Printer, Media Ministry Secy.

Published

1 hour ago

2026/10/5

Thilina Walpola

A complaint has been lodged with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau against the Government Printer and the Secretary to the Ministry of Media regarding the online release of falsified documents bearing a forged Speaker’s certificate.

Attorney-at-Law Aruna Laksiri has lodged a complaint with the Colombo Fraud Investigation Bureau requesting legal action against the Government Printer of the Department of Government Printing (No. 118, Dr. Danister de Silva Mawatha, Colombo 08), Prasanna Jayaratne, and the Secretary to the Ministry of Mass Media (Asidisi Medura, 163, Kirulapone Mawatha, Polhengoda, Colombo 05), Dr. Anil Jasinghe.

The complaint alleges the commission of offences by forging and uploading falsified documents online using a forged Speaker’s certification, failure to perform statutory duties, and misappropriation of public property.

The complaint states that a copy of the English translation of the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution was downloaded and printed from the official website of the Government Printing Department (www.documents.gov.lk), which operates under the Ministry of Mass Media. On its outer cover and on page 1, the text “certified on 25th of September, 2026” is inscribed inside brackets.

The complaint pointed out that the Speaker has certified an English translation. Under Articles 23, 79, 83, and 80 of the Constitution, Parliament enacts laws and the Speaker certifies bills strictly in the Sinhala and Tamil languages; under the Constitution, therefore the Speaker cannot apply such certification to an English translation.