MONETABRIEF – Sri Lanka’s former trade minister Johnston Fernando was today arrested by the country’s main anti-graft body on a corruption charge involving the purchase of chairs for an auditorium named after his then boss, Mahinda Rajapaksa.
The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) said Fernando had caused a loss of 7.9 million rupees to the state by not following proper procurement procedures and buying substandard furniture.
The chairs had been purchased for the Mahinda Rajapaksa Auditorium in Polgolla, the CIABOC said in a statement. The owner of the company which supplied the chairs, Lalith de Silva, was also arrested.
Fernando had been in and out of remand custody in recent years, accused of bribery and corruption.
The latest arrest is part of President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s anti-graft drive, which has escalated investigations and revived dormant inquiries involving alleged corruption during previous administrations. (COLOMBO/Sept 4, 2026)