Former CA remanded

Ceylon Fertilizer Corporation’s (CFC) Former Competent Authority Chanaka Benjamin, accused of producing fraudulent documents for the purchase of urea and depriving the Government of Rs. 170 million, has been remanded until October 10.

A bail application submitted on behalf of Mr. Benjamin when the case was taken up before Kaduwela Additional Magistrate Lakmal Wickramasuriya was turned down. The former Competent Authority was taken into custody in connection with a fraud which had allegedly taken place during the purchase of 25,000 mt of urea. The Agriculture Development Ministry Secretary had lodged a complaint with the CID about the fraud claiming that the state had been deprived of Rs. 170 million in the purchase of the fertilizer.

Earlier this year, Agriculture Ministry officials were accused of awarding the Urea tender without the approval of the Cabinet Appointed Tender Board (CATB).

The purchase valued at Rs. 892 million was apparently finalised within six hours. The Ministry had cited a shortage of urea fertilizer and refusal by private sector companies to provide stocks to them as the reasons for the sudden purchase on March 24 this year.

The Sunday Times reported details about the urea purchase scandal on May 21, 2006.