The Anti-Corruption Commission has arrested two ex-Deputy Chief Secretaries from the Southern Provincial Council over allegations of bypassing procurement procedures in a furniture purchase worth thousands of rupees.

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has arrested Poddivila Kankananage Sunil and Vidura Prasanna, both former Deputy Chief Secretaries of the Southern Provincial Council, in connection with an inquiry into irregular procurement practices. The investigation centres on the 2019 purchase of 408 armless plastic chairs from a private vendor in Galle, which authorities allege circumvented standard procurement protocols.

According to the anti-corruption authority, the two officials are accused of acquiring the furniture without obtaining the required approval from the Provincial Governor. The transaction is alleged to have violated established procurement procedures that are designed to ensure transparency and competitive bidding in government purchases.

Both suspects were presented before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court following their arrest. The court subsequently released them on bail, allowing them to remain at liberty pending further proceedings in the investigation.