Former Chairman of the National Water Supply and Drainage Board, Nishantha Ranatunga, was taken into custody by investigating officers from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption following a raid linked to severe financial misconduct.
The arrest occurred after Ranatunga arrived at the Bribery Commission headquarters to record an official statement regarding an ongoing inquiry into state resource allocation. Official findings released by CIABOC reveal that the former chairman stands accused of misusing public funds amounting to approximately 14.8 million rupees to finance personal security details and private chauffeurs without legal entitlement.
Investigative records detail two distinct avenues of financial abuse. First, Ranatunga allegedly directed the Water Board to pay nearly 5.8 million rupees to a private firm for two security officers assigned exclusively to his private residence. Second, investigators uncovered that he employed two personal drivers and funnelled approximately 9 million rupees in salary payments directly from capital funds allocated to state water supply development projects. State prosecutors maintain that these illegal arrangements caused massive direct financial losses to the public treasury while granting Ranatunga unlawful personal benefits during his tenure at the utility.
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Following his arrest around midday, investigating officers produced Ranatunga before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court to face formal corruption charges. The court proceedings mark a significant step forward in state efforts to hold senior public officials accountable for diverting capital project funds into personal perks. Further investigations into institutional oversight failures at the Water Board remain underway.
