Former Minister Jagath Pushpakumara, who was arrested by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) earlier yesterday (8), was granted bail.

He was released on two surety bails amounting to Rs  500,000 each after being produced before the Hulftsdorp Magistrate’s Court. 

Pushpakumara was arrested at around 9:20 a.m. by Commission officers over alleged corruption-related offences. The allegations against Pushpakumara relate to several incidents involving State-owned plantation companies during election periods.

According to the Commission, during the 2014 Uva Provincial Council Election period, Pushpakumara instructed the Chilaw Plantations Company and the Kurunegala Plantations Company to print 250,000 posters and leaflets claiming that they were for public awareness programmes on Government development projects. The alleged action resulted in the two Companies incurring expenses of over Rs  2.66 million.

He is also accused of arranging the purchase of clothing items from the two plantation Companies during the 2015 Presidential Election period, including 5,000 sarong and T-shirt sets and 5,000 skirt and blouse sets, purportedly for flood relief distribution. The Commission alleges that the purchases were made without following proper procedures, costing the Companies over Rs  3.27 million and Rs 3 million respectively, and that the items were not distributed.

Pushpakumara has also been accused of influencing officials to obtain T-shirts and sarees from the two plantation companies for participants attending May Day rallies in 2013 and 2014.