– The Chairman of the Nuwara Eliya Pradeshiya Sabha has alleged that his signature was forged to authorize salary payments totaling nearly Rs. 625,000 to 11 employees while he was in remand custody.The chairman said he discovered that a document bearing a signature purported to be his, dated April 7, had been used to approve the salary payments despite him being detained in a Colombo prison at the time following his arrest by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

He has lodged complaints with the Nuwara Eliya Criminal Investigation Division and the Assistant Commissioner of Local Government, requesting an investigation into the alleged forgery. Addressing the media, the chairman maintained that he could not have signed the relevant documents while in custody and questioned the legitimacy of the approval process.

He further alleged that the disputed signature appeared on the salary documents before they had been signed and endorsed by the responsible officials, contrary to established administrative procedures.

As such, the chairman has called for a full inquiry into the incident and the circumstances under which the payments were authorized.