• Prez CoI to probe 2010-2025 CMC, corruption, irregularities, fraud, criminal breach of trust, and criminal misappropriation of property to be looked into 
• 5 Galle Municipal Councilors representing UNP/SJB/SLPP including female arrested for obstructing officials, Mathugama PS Chair surrenders over assault  

The annual Budget of the Colombo Municipal Council (CMC) was passed with a two vote victory margin. The Budget proposal received 58 votes in favour, while 56 councilors voted against it. When this year’s (2026) Budget proposal of the CMC was first presented to the Council on 22 December of last year (2025), 60 councilors voted against it while 57 voted for the Budget. At the last Local Government Elections, the National People’s Power (NPP) secured power in the CMC and its Mayoral candidate Vraie Cally Balthazar was elected as the Colombo Mayor by securing 61 votes.

Meanwhile, a Presidential Commission of Inquiry (CoI) has been appointed to investigate, examine, and report on the alleged corruption and irregularities that are said to have taken place at the CMC. Accordingly, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake has named former High Court Judge Piyasena Ranasinghe, chartered accountant E.R.M.S.H. Ekanayake and former Senior Superintendent of Police D.S. Wickramasinghe as members of the Commission. The Gazette Extraordinary in this regard has been issued under the signature of the Secretary to the President. The Commission has been mandated to investigate alleged acts of corruption, fraud, the criminal breach of trust, and the criminal misappropriation of property that are said to have occurred within the CMC during the period from 2010 to 2025.

Elsewhere, five councilors of the Galle MC have been arrested in connection with an unrest that broke out during the Council session on Tuesday (30). Police have arrested the group including a female councilor after recording statements over the commotion. They are accused of obstructing duties of the Secretary and other officials of the MC. The arrested suspects, councilors representing the UNP, the SJB and the SLPP, were scheduled to be produced before the Galle Magistrate’s Court yesterday (31).

Further, the Chairperson of the Mathugama Pradeshiya Sabha (PS), who is accused of assaulting the PS Secretary, has surrendered to the Police. According to reports, the incident occurred on Tuesday morning when a heated argument arose over a PS project, following which the Chairperson is alleged to have physically assaulted the Secretary. The injured Secretary was admitted to the District Hospital in Weththewa, Mathugama, for treatment to the injuries sustained in the alleged attack. The Secretary had also lodged a formal complaint with the Mathugama Police in connection with the incident.

Also, an individual who contested the last General Election from the Ratnapura District under the NPP ticket was killed in a head-on collision involving a motorcycle and a private bus. The deceased has been identified as a 63-year-old retired brigadier and father of two, who was residing in Makumbura, Pannipitiya, H.M. Sarath Wijesena. A retired colonel who was travelling with him sustained serious injuries in the accident. The incident occurred while the two were travelling by motorcycle to Galle for a business purpose along the Bandaragama-Kesbewa road. The collision took place at the Galkade junction in Welmilla, when a private bus transporting staff of the Sri Jayewardenepura General Hospital to Mathugama collided head-on with the motorcycle. Following the collision, the motorcycle was reportedly dragged for more than 100 metres and came to a stop on the road. The driver of the private bus, a 42-year-old resident of Agalawatta, has been arrested in connection with the incident.