Children of ex-lawmakers may be forced to repay foreign scholarship funds

The government is set to take legal action to recover over Rs. 200 million awarded as foreign scholarships to children and relatives of former Presidents, Ministers, and Members of Parliament, according to senior government sources.

The scholarships, issued under the President’s Fund, are now under scrutiny, with legal officials currently reviewing beneficiary lists and obtaining advice on how to reclaim public funds.

It has been revealed that under the governing regulations of the President’s Fund, granting such foreign scholarships may have been unlawful.

Minister of Urban Development, Construction and Housing Dr. Anura Karunathilaka disclosed in Parliament that at least 72 individuals, many of them children and relatives of former MPs and Ministers, received these foreign scholarships.