President Sirisena’s Chief of Staff, I.H.K. Mahanama, was arrested for taking a bribe from an Indian investor.
Mahanama initially demanded that the investor – a businessperson investing in a sugar factory in Kantale, Trincomalee, pay approximately 540 million Sri Lanka rupees (3.5 million USD). However, upon negotiation the amount was reduced to 100 million. The investor contacted the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) subsequently.
Mahanama was arrested after receiving 20 million rupees as the first installment of the deal.
The arrest adds further concern regarding corruption within the Sirisena government.