The racket defrauding money belonging to Aswesuma beneficiaries at the Norwood Divisional Secretariat, which has the highest number of Aswesuma beneficiaries in the island, rose to Rs. 16.2 million, audit investigations revealed.

With the revelation that three more officers of that office were involved in this financial fraud,

Norwood Divisional Secretary Sameera Gamlath filed a complaint today (06) with the Special Investigation Unit of the Hatton Police Division, requesting a broad investigation into the matter, police said.

Following a complaint made previously by the Divisional Secretary, two women who handled divisions at the Norwood Divisional Secretariat were arrested by the Hatton Police and produced before the Hatton District Court, after which those two female suspects were ordered to be remanded until August 11.

This fraud was exposed based on an anonymous letter sent to Nuwara Eliya District Secretary Thushari Thennakoon by beneficiaries stating that they did not receive the Aswesuma allowance.

Acting accordingly, the District Secretary transferred the two female suspects to other Divisional Secretariats in the district and deployed a team of 10 officers from the audit divisions of the Nuwara Eliya District and the Finance Ministry to conduct a special audit investigation for the period from 2023 to 2025.

Audit officers are remaining at the Divisional Secretariat itself to conduct further related investigations, and statements were recorded from all Grama Niladharis serving under that office, other officers in the Aswesuma division, and many beneficiaries so far.

When beneficiaries went to the office to inquire regarding non-receipt of Aswesuma money, the female suspects threatened those beneficiaries by stating, "If money was received it will be credited to the account, do not come to the office again," investigations revealed.

Suspects credited Aswesuma money to the accounts of their relatives and associates, provided that money personally as informal hand loans, and collected an agreed monthly amount from those who received the money in interest-free instalments, police said.

Meanwhile, Nuwara Eliya District Coordinating Committee Chairman and Member of Parliament Manjula Suraweeraarachchi stated that action is being taken to appoint a special audit team to investigate whether benefits including Aswesuma, Divi Neguma relief, Samurdhi allowances, and the Rs. 5,000 allowance provided by the government during the Corona disaster were paid properly in all 10 Divisional Secretariats in the Nuwara Eliya District.