CEB Chief Engineer suspended

The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) Chief Engineer has been suspended for alleged misappropriation of funds amounting to Rs. 610 million when he was working as the General Manager of Lanka Electricity Company (LECO).

The suspension was an unanimous decision made by the Board of Directors of the CEB on the instructions of Power and Energy Minister Champika Ranawaka.

A media statement from the Minister noted that this was done on the recommendations made by a five-member committee that had been appointed by the Ministry Secretary M.M.C. Ferdinando to probe the alleged misappropriation of funds worth an estimated Rs.520 million during the previous regime.

When the committee handed over its report it was found that Rs.610 million had been misappropriated. This prompted the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to hold two investigations into the matter and uncover massive incidents of fraud.

Following the findings of the two reports the board of directors of LECO had taken steps to suspend Dr. Susantha Perera in April 2011. This step was taken after the investigation of the external and internal accounts.

However the statement goes on to say that CEB General Manager Badra Jayaweera had appointed Dr. Susantha Perera as the Chief Engineer of the CEB after the LECO suspension.

Since this appointment was not done according to accepted procedures the Board of Directors of the CEB had ordered investigations and thereafter agreed to suspend Dr. Susantha Perera from his duties effective from 3 May 2011.