Three Remanded, as Anti-Corruption Commission Uncovers Deep Rot in Sri Lanka’s Department of Motor Traffic
(Lanka-e-News -02.July.2025, 11.15 PM) In a dramatic exposé that has rocked the Department of Motor Traffic, the former Commissioner General, Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasinghe, was taken into custody yesterday along with two accomplices over the alleged unlawful registration of 177 illegally imported vehicles—including a Toyota SUV that bore a forged number plate issued with direct departmental approval.
The arrests were made by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) early yesterday morning, following weeks of investigation into what is now being described as one of the most brazen white-collar rackets in the country’s recent history.
The trio—including Weerasinghe, the department’s former Assistant Director of IT, Priyantha Bandara Eriyagama, and a clerk identified as Dhammika Niroshan—were produced before the Chief Magistrate of Colombo, Thanuja Lakmali Jayatunga, who ordered their remand until 8 July 2025.
The shocking revelations have further tarnished the Department of Motor Traffic’s already bruised reputation, with one official privately admitting: “The place has become a haven for fraud, a veritable den of thieves.”
The heart of the allegation centres on vehicles imported in violation of Sri Lanka’s Customs laws—vehicles that were never officially cleared by the Department of Customs, but somehow made their way onto the roads, thanks to illegal backend processing at the Motor Traffic Department.
CIABOC officials informed the court that the suspects authorised and facilitated data entry for unauthorised vehicles, allowing them to be issued registration plates. At least one Toyota jeep has already been traced to this operation.
According to investigators, this was not a case of isolated oversight but a systematic scheme: vehicles would be smuggled into the country, bypass customs entirely, and then enter the formal system through manipulated registration data, often supported by forged documents and unauthorised approvals.
The scandal is said to have taken root years ago but thrived in recent times under an environment of weak oversight and insider collusion. The depth of corruption appears staggering—CIABOC has uncovered that 177 such vehicles were illegally legitimised via the department.
Weerasinghe and his two alleged collaborators are not the first to face the music.
In a previous CIABOC raid at the Department’s Narahenpita headquarters, three senior officers were arrested—among them Dilantha Nuwan Kumara Wijesundara Mudiyanselage, a Deputy Commissioner, and two senior administrative officials. The operation yielded over Rs. 4.1 million in bribe money, literally bagged in four gunny sacks.
All three remain in remand custody to this day.
With Weerasinghe now joining them, legal observers noted the symbolism: “It’s as if the entire criminal operation is slowly being swept into the same prison block,” one senior lawyer quipped, suggesting the circle of arrests is far from complete.
Weerasinghe, notably, did not exit his role in honour. He resigned abruptly following the formation of the Malima government, under which Bimal Ratnayake assumed the transport portfolio. Sources familiar with the department suggest the new minister’s crackdown on corruption may have spurred Weerasinghe’s sudden departure.
CIABOC officials were quick to point out that resignation does not equate to absolution. “Stepping down from the post does not erase criminal wrongdoing,” said a commission official. “What we’re looking at is the misuse of office during his active tenure.”
The events of the past few weeks have cast a long shadow over one of Sri Lanka’s most essential state services. What was once an emblem of administrative formality has, in the public eye, become a symbol of impunity, red tape, and unbridled corruption.
In court yesterday, CIABOC attorneys did not mince their words. “This was not mere negligence,” they argued. “This was a deliberate, orchestrated abuse of public office to facilitate illegal imports and monetise the vehicle registry.”
Even within government circles, pressure is mounting. Several MPs from both ruling and opposition benches have called for a complete overhaul of the Department of Motor Traffic, including the installation of an independent internal watchdog and digitised verification procedures.
Though figures are still being assessed, preliminary estimates suggest that the illegal importation and registration of 177 vehicles may have cost the Treasury hundreds of millions in lost import duties and registration fees.
Worse still, many of these vehicles may now be in the hands of unsuspecting buyers. Legal experts warn that if proven, the registrations would be deemed null and void, exposing vehicle owners to criminal liability and asset seizure.
In response, CIABOC has reportedly requested assistance from the Department of Customs and the Ministry of Finance to compile a master list of all suspect vehicles, which will soon be released to the public.
One official described the potential fallout as “unprecedented,” saying: “If you bought a luxury car in the last three years at a suspiciously low price, it might be time to check your papers.”
Observers have not missed the irony of Weerasinghe’s remand. He now shares the same remand prison as the very officials whose corrupt practices he once allegedly oversaw—or worse, coordinated.
One CIABOC officer dryly noted: “It’s the first time in a while that the hierarchy of corruption has been remanded from top to bottom.”
Photographs taken outside the courtroom showed Weerasinghe in handcuffs, clad in a white shirt, his face partially obscured by a surgical mask. But for many in Sri Lanka, no disguise could hide the stain of corruption.
Across social media, news of the arrest was met with a mix of outrage and applause.
“Finally, someone is cleaning out the thieves’ den,” wrote one user on X (formerly Twitter). Another posted: “177 illegal vehicles? That’s not a racket. That’s a dealership.”
On the ground, however, many remain cynical. A retired civil servant commented, “This is just the tip of the iceberg. You can arrest a few, but until the whole system is disinfected, nothing will change.”
While the Department of Motor Traffic is under fire, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption is experiencing a rare moment of public praise.
Long criticised for its perceived lethargy, CIABOC has now taken decisive action that many see as a watershed moment. If the Commission follows through with further prosecutions and asset recoveries, this case could mark the beginning of a long-overdue institutional cleansing.
One court observer summed it up aptly: “For once, the jail gate is revolving in the right direction.”
Photo Caption: Former Commissioner General Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasinghe
-By LeN Investigations Editor
---------------------------
by (2025-07-02 21:16:45)
Read 3108 Times
Leave a Reply
0 discussion on this news