Manula Chamal Perera arrested for allegedly misappropriating funds of the Youth Services Council

After a high-ranking official of the National Youth Services Council, who was accused of misusing funds and causing a loss of fifty-one lakhs of rupees to the government, was arrested and produced before the court, the Chief Magistrate of Colombo today issued bail orders prohibiting him from even entering his workplace.

The person summoned before the law was Arumakutti Manula Chamal Perera, who served as a Director in the Administration and Human Resources Management Division of the National Youth Services Council. Officials from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption arrested him this afternoon (04) on a serious charge of misusing public funds.

This incident is based on a transaction involving a land and a building located in Samapura village in Ampara District. The suspect director had prepared interim lease agreements, implying that the property was government land, and arranged for the National Youth Services Council to acquire it on a lease basis. Furthermore, investigation officers informed the court that 38 lakhs of rupees from the Youth Services Council's funds were illegally paid to a third party for this purpose.

Additionally, another charge against him is that he arranged for an additional 13 lakhs of rupees to be paid from the Youth Services Council's funds under the guise of renovating the said building, without any formal approval from the Board of Directors. Accordingly, the total amount lost to the government is 5.1 million rupees.

After the arrested suspect was produced before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama, the Magistrate ordered his release on two personal bail bonds of ten lakhs of rupees each. The court also took steps to prohibit the suspect from traveling abroad.

The most noteworthy point here was the order issued by the Chief Magistrate, completely prohibiting the suspect from entering the head office of the National Youth Services Council until the next court date, despite being released on bail. The Bribery Commission had informed the court that the suspect is currently employed in the Administration and Human Resources Management Division of the Youth Services Council.

The case related to the incident is scheduled to be called again on January 20.