NDF General Secy. arrested by CIABOC granted bail

The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) yesterday (30) arrested Shyamila Perera, General Secretary of the New Democratic Front (NDF), a political party currently represented in Parliament. According to CIABOC Perera, in her capacity as Chairperson of the National Lotteries Board (NLB), during the 2015-2019 period, assigned three officers to the office of then Minister Ravi Karunanayake. Perera holds the exclusive rights to the ‘Swan’ symbol, under which General Sarath Fonseka (2010), Maithripala Sirisena (2015) and Sajith Premadasa (2019) contested the presidential polls. At the last parliamentary polls, held in November 2024, the NDF, backed by Ranil Wickremesinghe, secured five seats, including two National List slots. The NDF parliamentary group consists of Rohitha Abeygunawardena, Chamara Sampath, Anuradha Jayaratne, Ravi Karunanayake (NL) and Faizer Musthapha (NL). Shyamila Perera received media attention when she named Karunanayake as one NDF NL MP, disregarding UNP advice that it should be given the opportunity to fill the vacancy. Later in the day, the Colombo Magistrate’s Court granted Perera bail. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama ordered that the suspect be released on two surety bails amounting of Rs. 1 million each and imposed an overseas travel ban. (SF)