SJB Youth Front today filed a complaint with the Bribery Commission over the alleged sugar fraud that has cost the government over Rs. 11 billion.
Chairman of the front, MP Mayantha Dissanayake has also asked that a Presidential Commission of Inquiry is appointed to probe the alleged fraud.
“Approximately 75000 MT of sugar has been imported to the country by a powerful businessman after the import tax on sugar was reduced to 25 cents per kilogram. Several other consignments of sugar are still arriving. Despite the drastic reduction of taxes, sugar prices in the market did not see a significant change. The state-owned Sathosa purchased sugar at higher prices and sold to the public at Rs. 85 per kilogram. On the surface, we can see a suspicious deal behind the sudden influx of sugar into the country after the reduction of taxes. We suspect that some wheeler-dealers affiliated with the government derived large profits from this deal,” Dissanayake said.
