Sri Lanka to Arrest Ex-Minister in Fuel Scam Case

Colombo, Sri Lanka - Sri Lanka's anti-corruption commission announced plans on Monday to arrest former Minister of Petroleum Resources Development Arjuna Ranatunga upon his return to the country, linking him to an alleged scheme that caused nearly 800 million Sri Lankan rupees in losses to the state-owned Ceylon Petroleum Corporation through irregular fuel procurement practices in 2017.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga Bodaragama during a court hearing that Arjuna Ranatunga, who served as minister at the time, and his brother Dhammika Ranatunga, then chairman of the Ceylon Petroleum Corporation, canceled three long-term fuel tenders scheduled for 2017 and 2018. Instead, the commission stated, they approved 27 spot purchases at inflated prices, favoring certain suppliers and resulting in the financial loss equivalent to about $2.7 million at the time. Dhammika Ranatunga was named the primary suspect, while Arjuna was identified as the second.

Dhammika Ranatunga, 63, was arrested earlier on Monday and produced before the court. Assistant Director Legal Anusha Sammanthapperuma, representing the commission,...