Retired Health Ministry Chief Clerk arrested over Rs. 20 Million bribery case

A retired Chief Clerk of the Ministry of Health was arrested on March 4, 2026, for allegedly accepting Rs. 20 million in bribes to release ministry rent payments without delay.

The suspect was arrested by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption at around 1:15 PM at the canteen of the Ministry of Health.

According to the allegations, the incident is linked to a building that was obtained on a rental basis from a private institution in 2018 for the Ministry of Health, Nutrition and Indigenous Medicine.

Investigations revealed that the retired Chief Clerk had allegedly demanded a bribe in return for promising to ensure that the ministry’s rent payments for the building were released without delay.

It is alleged that he requested and accepted a total bribe of Rs. 20 million through cheques on seven separate occasions while facilitating the issuance of the relevant rent payment cheques from the Ministry of Health.

The suspect was produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court and was ordered to be remanded until March 17, 2026.