Sri Lanka | Former Minister Arrested for Alleged Involvement in the Theft of the Sacred “Moonstone” | CUAC

Civil Anti-Corruption Union – Monitoring Desk Sri Lanka's Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) announced on Tuesday the arrest of former Cabinet Minister Keheliya Rambukwella on suspicion of conspiring, aiding, and abetting the theft of a centuries-old sacred historical artifact. The allegations relate to the theft of a carved circular granite stone known as the “Moonstone,” which once formed part of the entrance to the palace of King Vira Parakrama Narendrasinh, who ruled the Kingdom of Kandy until 1739. According to the anti-corruption commission, Rambukwella conspired to remove the historic artifact in December 2022 and also obstructed the police investigation into the case at the time. The commission added that the former minister is facing a separate charge related to the misuse of state funds to employ six individuals to work on his private projects. The arrest comes amid a separate court case involving Rambukwella over the procurement of counterfeit medicines for public hospitals during his tenure as Minister of Health. One of the medicines, reportedly intended for cancer treatment, was later found to be water. Several Health Ministry officials are also facing charges related to the case. Source: Agence France-Presse (AFP).