Opposition members of the Nuwara Eliya Municipal Council and civil society representatives have levelled allegations of a large-scale monetary fraud amounting to Rs. 9.2 million with regard to gasoline allocations for automobiles engaged in catastrophe administration actions following Cyclone Ditwah.
United Nationwide Get together (UNP) Municipal Councillor Susantha Priyalal Palihawadana and Dinesh Lanka Geeganage of the Nuwara Eliya Safety Group submitted written complaints to the Auditor Basic and the Assistant Commissioner of Native Authorities in Nuwara Eliya on this regard, calling for a requesting a proper investigation into the incident.
Addressing the media after lodging the complaints, Councillor Palihawadana acknowledged that following the cyclone final 12 months, the Nuwara Eliya MC, underneath the supervision of the Divisional Secretary, had undertaken improvement and clearing work alongside the Talagala Oya utilizing employed heavy equipment, together with backhoes.
He added that the Divisional Secretariat had transferred Rs. 2 million to the Municipal Council’s official checking account to assist the operations, whereas further bills have been reportedly lined utilizing council funds. He additional alleged that approvals for the expenditures had been obtained by the intervention of Mayor Upali Wanigasekara.
Palihawadana claimed that though greater than Rs. 9.2 million had been spent on diesel for the employed equipment and automobiles, the extent of labor carried out didn’t correspond to the expenditure incurred.
He alleged {that a} important monetary irregularity could have taken place within the administration of the funds.
