Ex-SLPP Local Politico Arrested Over Job Scam

COLOMBO (News 1st); A former member of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna representing the Haguranketha Pradeshiya Sabha has been arrested over an alleged large-scale foreign employment scam involving more than Rs. 21 million, the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment (SLBFE) said.

According to the SLBFE Special Investigations Unit, the suspect was taken into custody for allegedly defrauding individuals by promising jobs in Romania. 

Complaints indicate that the suspect and his wife had claimed to offer employment in the construction sector in Romania and collected money from job seekers across several areas.

The Bureau said it has received 16 complaints related to the scam, with the total amount defrauded estimated at Rs. 21.3 million.

The suspect, a resident of the Haguranketha, is an individual who had previously worked in Romania for a period of two years before returning to Sri Lanka.

Investigations conducted by officers of the SLBFE Special Investigations Unit, along with officials from the State Intelligence Service, revealed that the suspect had fled the Rikillagaskada area and was hiding in a rented house in the Kadugannawa area. Acting on this information, authorities were able to apprehend the suspect.

Following the arrest, the main suspect and his wife were produced before the Maligakanda Magistrate’s Court. Both were ordered to be remanded until the 6th.