• Monaragala DS pledges disciplinary action if any official is found guilty 

In the wake of allegations of fraud and commission-taking linked to the distribution of cyclone Ditwah disaster compensation payments, Monaragala District Secretary (DS), A G Nishantha, said that any State official found to have involved in wrongdoing would face necessary disciplinary action, stressing that there is no political interference in the related investigations.

Speaking to The Daily Morning yesterday (18), he said that various allegations had been reported and that investigations are already underway. He added that compensation payments were credited directly into recipients’ bank accounts and that the authorities also monitor whether the relevant work corresponding to the compensation had been carried out properly. 

“We are looking into all incidents reported during this process and action will definitely be taken where necessary. If any Government official has committed wrongdoing, the required action will be taken against them. There is no political interference in these matters,” he said.

The remarks came after residents of Monaragala alleged that several officials attached to the Monaragala Divisional Secretariat had engaged in fraudulent practices during the process of distributing Ditwah disaster compensation payments, including forcibly taking portions of compensation money from recipients.

Some residents claimed that they had been asked to pay commissions in order to receive compensation that had already been approved for them. One female recipient accused a Disaster Relief Services Officer attached to the Disaster Relief Services Division of taking Rs 100,000 as commission from her compensation payment. She had received a Rs  two million cheque on 20 April and had gone to the bank accompanied by an official and another individual connected to the office. 

She alleged that the official later took Rs 100,000 from the cash bundle, claiming it as his commission. Separate allegations have also surfaced against a Grama Niladhari (GN) attached to the Maduruketiya area under the Monaragala Divisional Secretariat. Residents alleged that individuals seeking compensation had been asked to pay commissions in order to secure approval for higher compensation amounts. The Disaster Relief Services Officer accused of seeking a commission from a Ditwah victim had already been suspended from duty. The Maduruketiya GN accused of demanding commissions had also been transferred to another division to facilitate the investigation.