Former Chief of Staff to the President, Dr. I. K. Mahanama and State Timber Corporation (STC) Chairman P. Dissanayake were this morning further remanded by the Colombo Magistrates’ Court until June 5.

Dr. Mahanama and Dissanayake were arrested by Bribery sleuths on May 3 for accepting a bribe of Rs. 20 million from an Indian businessman who wanted to revive Kantale sugar factory which had been closed for over 20 years.

Dr. Mahanama and P. Dissanayake were arrested while in the backseat of a car in the parking lot at the Hotel Galadari, where they were counting the money given to them by the Indian investor, who was the person who informed the Police about the impending transaction.

Dr. Mahanama was formerly Secretary of Lands and Parliamentary Reforms and had only recently been appointed to the position of President’s Chief of Staff.  Dissanayake was formerly private secretary to former President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga.