Posters, Sarees and Missing Relief Packs: Charges Against Jagath Pushpakumara Revealed

COLOMBO (News 1st); Former Minister Jagath Pushpakumara, who was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over corruption-related allegations, was today ordered to be released on two personal bail bonds of Rs. 5 million each by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama.

The Magistrate also imposed an overseas travel ban on the suspect and directed the Court Registrar to inform the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration accordingly.

Former Minister Jagath Pushpakumara was arrested and produced before court after arriving at the Bribery Commission this morning to provide a statement.

The case has been filed in relation to three separate allegations against him.

One allegation relates to the expenditure of Rs. 2,665,000 after allegedly instructing the Chilaw Plantations Company and Kurunegala Plantations Company to print 250,000 posters and leaflets intended to raise public awareness of government development projects while the 2014 Uva Provincial Council election had already been declared.

A second allegation concerns the expenditure of more than Rs. 6 million from the two plantation companies to purchase 10,000 clothing packs during the 2015 Presidential Election period, purportedly for distribution as flood relief, without following the proper procurement procedure.

The Bribery Commission informed court that investigations had revealed that the clothing packs in question had never actually been distributed.

The suspect also faces allegations of influencing officials to provide 2,000 T-shirts and 1,500 sarees from the Chilaw Plantations Company, as well as 2,000 T-shirts and 1,500 sarees from the Kurunegala Plantations Company, for distribution among participants attending May Day rallies in 2013 and 2014.