A formal complaint has been lodged with the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) against Dr. Nandika Sanath Kumanayake, the Secretary to the President of Sri Lanka, accusing him of misusing an official government vehicle for personal purposes.
The complaint, filed yesterday (26) by citizen journalist Dinidu de Alwis, has generated widespread discussion on social media and renewed concerns over accountability at the highest levels of government.
According to the submission made through CIABOC’s online portal, Dr. Kumanayake, who assumed duties as Presidential Secretary on September 23, 2024, allegedly used his official vehicle on August 4, 2025, to transport his wife on a grocery run. The report further claims that the vehicle was involved in a minor collision during this unauthorized trip, underscoring a potential breach of protocol. De Alwis also attached photographic evidence of the complaint form, which has since gone viral on the X platform, attracting significant public attention.
Dr. Kumanayake, a career public servant who joined the Sri Lanka Customs Service as an Assistant Superintendent in 1997 and holds a BSc with first-class honours from the University of Kelaniya, has not yet responded to the allegations. His appointment as Presidential Secretary, following President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s election victory, was initially hailed as a move to strengthen administrative leadership in the Office of the President.
However, the latest claims have cast a shadow over his tenure, with critics highlighting what they describe as a recurring problem of high-ranking officials misusing state resources. The controversy has sparked an outpouring of reactions online, with many drawing connections to broader issues of corruption and governance.
Public scrutiny has been particularly intense in recent weeks following the arrest of former President Ranil Wickremesinghe on August 22, 2025—the first time in Sri Lanka’s history that a former head of state has been taken into custody. Wickremesinghe faces allegations of misappropriating nearly USD 56,000 in public funds to cover expenses for a private overseas trip. His arrest has intensified public anger over corruption, fueling a growing movement that is now rallying around de Alwis’s complaint to demand systemic reforms and greater transparency in government.
Case Filed at CIABOC Against Presidential Secretary
