Former Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), a short while ago.

Former Minister Nanayakkara this morning (15) appeared before the Bribery Commission to record a statement.

Manusha Nanayakkara was summoned to be questioned over alleged irregularities during the tenure of the previous government regarding the deployment of Sri Lankan workers to Israel for employment in the agricultural sector.

According to a statement issued by the Bribery Commission, an agreement signed on November 5, 2023 between the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) and the State of Israel during the process of deploying workers to the agricultural sector in Israel, it is alleged that the then Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment abused his powers and unfairly selected certain individuals to be sent for employment to Israel, depriving others of the opportunity.

The Bribery Commission noted that it is further alleged that by doing so, he provided undue benefits to selected individuals and caused harm or loss to others, amounting to acts of corruption.

Based on these allegations, former Minister of Labour and Foreign Employment Manusha Nanayakkara was arrested today by officials of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption during the course of an investigation.

He is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today.

Meanwhile, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday dismissed the anticipatory bail application filed by former Minister Manusha Nanayakkara, seeking release on bail prior to his possible arrest by the Bribery Commission.