Lalith Pium Perera, the former Chairman/Director General of the National Youth Services Council, was arrested today (28) by officials from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. He was arrested in connection with allegations that he caused a loss of 5.1 million rupees to the government.
It is reported that during his tenure, he facilitated the acquisition of a property comprising land and a building located in the Samapura area of Ampara by the National Youth Services Council on a lease basis. In doing so, he allegedly misrepresented the property as government-owned land and drafted sub-lease agreements.
Furthermore, it has been revealed that through this process, 3.8 million rupees from the funds of the National Youth Services Council were unlawfully paid to a third party.
Additionally, it has been uncovered that he authorized the expenditure of another 1.3 million rupees from the Council’s funds for the renovation of the said building, without obtaining formal approval from the Board of Directors. Accordingly, the suspect a former chairman is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today.