Former minister alleges massive fraud in rice imports
Posted on January 8th, 2025
Courtesy Hiru News
Former Agriculture Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has accused the government of orchestrating a massive fraud involving the importation of rice. He claims that large quantities of rice, including Nadu and Kekulu varieties, are being falsely labeled as basmati rice, resulting in a fraud worth millions of rupees.
Amaraweera raised concerns about the involvement of powerful individuals within the government, questioning whether they are aware of the alleged fraudulent activities.
The government’s rice import permit, which was issued to address the ongoing rice shortage, is set to expire on January 10. As of noon yesterday, Sri Lanka Customs reported the importation of over 100,000 metric tons of rice, including 40,000 metric tons of raw rice and 61,000 metric tons of Nadu rice.