Former Cabinet Minister Jagath Pushpakumara has been arrested by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over alleged corruption-related offences.

The arrest was made at around 9:20 a.m. today (08), according to officials. The former Minister is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.

The allegations against former Minister Pushpakumara relate to several incidents involving state-owned plantation companies during election periods.

According to the Bribery Commission, during the 2014 Uva Provincial Council election period, former Minister Jagath Pushpakumara instructed the Chilaw Plantations Company and the Kurunegala Plantations Company to print 250,000 posters and leaflets claiming they were for public awareness programmes on government development projects. The alleged action resulted in the two companies incurring expenses of over Rs. 2.66 million. 

He is also accused of arranging the purchase of clothing items from the two plantation companies during the 2015 Presidential Election period, including 5,000 sarong and T-shirt sets and 5,000 skirt and blouse sets, purportedly for flood relief distribution. The Bribery Commission alleges the purchases were made without following proper procedures, costing the companies over Rs. 3.27 million and Rs. 3 million respectively, and that the items were not distributed.

The former minister has also been accused of influencing officials to obtain T-shirts and sarees from the two plantation companies for participants attending May Day rallies in 2013 and 2014.