Four Sathosa officials arrested over ‘garlic scam’ remanded

The four officials from Sathosa who were arrested by the CID yesterday in connection with the recent ‘garlic scam’ have been remanded by the court. 

They were ordered remanded until October 14 after being produced before the Wattala Magistrate’s Court. 

Officers of the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) had yesterday arrested Lanka Sathosa’s Assistant General Manager of Purchasing, Senior Manager-Supplies, Manager-Suppliesand the Manager of the Welisara Wholesale Store. 

They had been arrested after recording their respective statements yesterday with regard to the investigations being carried out under the supervision of the Director of the CID. 

On September 14, two containers carrying 54,000 kilograms of garlic belonging to Lanka Sathosa was taken into custody at Kerawalapitiya after they were allegedly pilfered from the port. 

Four officials of Lanka Sathosa, the country’s largest state-owned retail chain, were interdicted over the incident while Sathosa’s Deputy General Manager of Finance was arrested two days later. 

On October 06, the CID arrested another suspect in Bambalapitiya in connection with the garlic scam. The 55-year-old businessman was taken into custody on suspicion of purchasing the two container loads of garlic weighing up to 54,000 kg which were unlawfully removed from Sathosa. 

Meanwhile the Minister of Trade Bandula Gunawardena, speaking during the cabinet press briefing today, said that four officials have been appointed to conduct an internal inquiry regarding the incident.