Chamara Sampath arrested by Bribery Commission

Former State Minister and Parliamentarian Chamara Sampath Dasanayake was arrested by Sri Lanka’s Bribery Commission today (October 12, 2026) in connection with an alleged Rs. 8.1 million bribery case involving phosphate exports.

He was arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) after being questioned for more than three hours.

Chamara Sampath appeared before the Bribery Commission this morning to provide a statement in connection with the ongoing investigation.

The investigation concerns allegations that a bribe of Rs. 8.1 million was obtained from three selected companies in exchange for allowing only those companies to export phosphate without following proper procedures and helping them obtain the necessary export permits.

Meanwhile, Sumathipala Liyanarachchi, who served as Chamara Sampath’s private secretary during his tenure as State Minister of Primary Industries, has also been arrested in connection with the same investigation and is currently being held in remand custody.