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Former Minister S.M. Chandrasena arrested and remanded

04 Jul, 2025

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Former Minister S.M. Chandrasena was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and was remanded until 18 July.

He was arrested over the alleged distribution of maize seeds valued at Rs. 25 million to associates during the 2015 presidential election, reports said.

The former Minister was questioned by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption before he was arrested.

Issuing a statement, the Bribery Commission stated that the former Minister is accused of having distributed maize seeds that had been imported in 2014 at a cost of Rs. 25 million to be provided at a concessional price to poor and needy farmers in the Anuradhapura District.

Chandrasena is accused of having intimidated officials at the Anuradhapura District Secretariat, including its Planning Director, to distribute the maize seeds to his political associates.

On 2 April the Colombo High Court sentenced former Minister’s brother and wife to 16 years of Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) after they were found guilty of corruption charges. Chandrasena’s brother was the former North Central Province Chief Minister S. M. Ranjith and his wife was ex-Chief Minister’s private secretary Shanthi Chandrasena.

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