The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has launched a fresh probe into serious allegations that ten Members of Parliament, including former MPs, received substantial sums from a leading liquor company in exchange for concealing key information related to the controversial Central Bank bond issue.
According to sources, the list of individuals under investigation includes several opposition MPs, notably a sitting Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) MP from Colombo.
These MPs, who were initially vocal critics of the bond scandal, allegedly shifted their stance and remained conspicuously silent after receiving financial inducements and other benefits.
Investigators believe that the payments were intended to suppress political and public scrutiny of the bond issue, which remains one of the most contentious financial scandals in recent Sri Lankan history.
The CID has reportedly taken into custody a number of cheques allegedly issued by the liquor company to the implicated MPs.
A new round of forensic investigations into these financial transactions is now underway, with CID officers working to establish a clear money trail and determine the extent of the influence exerted by the liquor company.
The initial probe into the bond issue and associated corruption was spearheaded by Senior Superintendent of Police Shani Abeysekara. However, those efforts were disrupted following his removal from the department under controversial circumstances.
With his recent reappointment as Director of the CID, Abeysekara has now revived the investigation, breathing new life into efforts to hold those involved accountable.
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