Minister of Agriculture Mahinda Amaraweera has acknowledged the occurrence of a scam related to the reversal of substandard organic fertilizer from China. In response to an oral question raised by MP Dayasiri Jayasekera in Parliament, Minister Amaraweera stated that only a group of state officials were involved in the scam, as per the initial investigations. He further clarified that no politicians were implicated in the fraudulent activity, as indicated by the preliminary reports. To address this issue, the Minister announced his decision to establish a commission, which will be headed by a retired judge. The final appointment for the commission’s chairperson will be made soon, enabling the probe to commence promptly. Despite the return of the stock, the Minister admitted that a payment of USD 6.7 million had already been made to the supplier.
