Brigadier arrested over illegal Colombo housing allocation

2026-03-23 - 04:45

A retired Sri Lanka Army Brigadier was arrested over alleged corruption in the allocation of 22 housing units under Colombo’s Urban Regeneration Project. The arrest was carried out on March 19, 2026, at around 12:31 PM by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC). The suspect had served as a Project Director of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) under the Urban Regeneration Project – Colombo City. According to a Cabinet decision, the issue relates to the “Sirisanda Sevana” housing complex, which was developed as part of a government initiative to improve living conditions for low-income residents in Colombo. The project aimed to construct housing complexes and provide suitable homes for underserved communities in the city. However, investigations revealed that in 2014, 22 housing units in the Sirisanda Sevana complex had been allocated to individuals who did not meet the required qualifications. This allocation was reportedly made in deviation from the general policy approved by the Board of Directors of the Urban Development Authority regarding the distribution of certain housing units. The alleged irregularities raised concerns of corruption, prompting further inquiry by CIABOC. Following his arrest, the retired Brigadier was produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court. He was later released on bail pending further legal proceedings.