Two female officials attached to the Norwood Divisional Secretariat have been remanded until August 4 over the alleged misappropriation of nearly Rs. 3 million belonging to beneficiaries of the Aswesuma welfare programme.
The suspects were arrested on Friday (01) by officers of the Hatton Police Division's Special Investigation Unit and were later produced before Acting Hatton Magistrate S. Parthiban, who ordered that they be remanded.
The two suspects include the officer who had been in charge of the Aswesuma division at the Norwood Divisional Secretariat and another female official.
According to investigators, a preliminary audit revealed that between 2023 and 2025, Aswesuma payments intended for beneficiaries had allegedly been transferred to the bank accounts of the suspects' relatives and acquaintances.
The investigation was launched following a complaint lodged by Norwood Divisional Secretary Sameera Gamlath with the Hatton Police Special Investigation Unit after the alleged financial irregularities were uncovered during an initial audit.
Authorities subsequently arrested the two officials, recorded statements from them, and produced them before court.
The alleged fraud first came to light after the Nuwara Eliya District Secretary, Thushari Thennekoon, received an anonymous letter claiming that several Aswesuma beneficiaries under the Norwood Divisional Secretariat had not received their welfare payments.
Following the complaint, the two officials were transferred to other Divisional Secretariats within the district while a formal investigation was initiated.
A 10-member audit team comprising officials from the Nuwara Eliya District Secretariat and the Ministry of Finance later confirmed that the alleged financial fraud had taken place.
The audit team continues to investigate the matter while stationed at the Norwood Divisional Secretariat. Statements have already been recorded from all Grama Niladhari officers attached to the Secretariat, as well as several officials from the Aswesuma division.
Meanwhile, based on statements obtained during the investigation, the Nuwara Eliya District Secretary has suspended three additional officials attached to the Secretariat over their alleged involvement in the fraud.
Investigators have also established that the welfare payments were allegedly deposited into the accounts of relatives and acquaintances before being withdrawn by the two suspects.
Authorities further revealed that when beneficiaries visited the Divisional Secretariat to inquire about missing payments, they were allegedly told that the funds would be credited if approved and were warned not to return to the office.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Nuwara Eliya District Coordinating Committee and Member of Parliament Manjula Suraweera Arachchi stated that steps are being taken to conduct an urgent audit to determine whether similar fraud involving Aswesuma and Samurdhi welfare payments has occurred at other Divisional Secretariats across the Nuwara Eliya District.
