In Sathosa stores:

250,000 tons of rice unfit for consumption

by Dhaneshi Yatawara

The special police investigation team of the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquire into Serious Acts of Fraud, Corruption and Abuse of Power, State Resources and Privileges (PRECIFAC) has found over 600 containers of rice unfit for consumption in the Sedawatta and Veyangoda Sathosa stores. The stock of rice was found when the Police team raided these two stores last week, as a part of the on-going investigation.

The rice stocks were purchased in 2014 and were lying in the Colombo Port container yard. The Sathosa authorities had been requested to clear their goods from the yard by December 31, 2015. According to the Secretary of PRECIFAC Lacille de Silva, the Commission has started investigating the Sathosa scam in purchasing nearly 250,000 metric tons of rice, while the Cabinet had approved only 5000 metric tons of rice to be imported and if Sathosa ran short of stocks then the required amount could be obtained.

PRECIFAC have summoned chairman and current and previous senior officials of Sathosa, former Minister of Co-operatives and Internal Trade and several other officials.