President Maithripala Sirisena has ordered the immediate suspension of the senior official attached to the Presidential Secretariat and the Chairman of the State Timber Corporation (STC) who face bribery allegations and advised the authorities to strictly enforce the law against the two offenders. 

The decision was taken after the President’s attention was drawn to the arrest of two senior officials, the President’s Media Division said.

President Sirisena, in a statement, said that the incident confirms the importance of establishing independent commissions and implementing the policies of the government against bribery and corruption. 

The President stated that he was pleased with the independent and impartial background created by the present government to ensure that the law enforcement authorities are able to perform their duties independently.

The Bribery Commission arrested the President’s Chief of Staff Dr I.H.K. Mahanama and the Chairman of the State Timber Corporation (STC) P. Dissanayake while accepting a bribe of Rs 20 million. 

According to reports, they were taken into custody by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption while soliciting the bribe at a prominent luxury hotel in Colombo. 

Sarath Jayamanna, the director general of CIABOC told Reuters, that the officials were recording statements from Mahanama and Dissanayake, and later on Thursday or early on Friday the two individuals would be produced before the courts.

He said Mahanama, the former secretary of the lands ministry, had asked for a bribe of Rs 540 million from an Indian investor interested in acquiring a state-owned sugar factory.

The two were arrested at a car park of a luxury hotel in the capital Colombo while they were accepting a 20 million rupees bribe from the investor for the transfer of land, he said.

Dr I.H.K. Mahanama is the former Secretary to the Ministry of Lands who was recently appointed to the influential position of the President’s Chief of Staff.