COLOMBO, Aug. 31 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption arrested former government minister Ravi Karunanayake on Monday after questioning him in connection with an ongoing investigation.
Karunanayake, who formerly served as Sri Lanka's foreign minister, arrived at the commission at about 8:15 a.m. local time in response to a summons and was arrested after several hours of questioning and recording a statement.
The investigation concerns allegations that five individuals were recruited to the National Lotteries Board on a contract basis outside approved procedures and later assigned to Karunanayake's personal staff.
Investigators said Karunanayake had failed to appear before the commission on four previous occasions despite being summoned.
Former National Lotteries Board Chairperson Shyamila Perera was previously arrested in connection with the same investigation and later released on bail on June 30.
In recent months, a number of politicians have been arrested for bribery and corruption. ■
