3 officials caught stealing relief goods

Jun 04, 2017

Displaced people housed at Rahula Vidyalaya in Matara finally caught the thieves who had been stealing the relief goods intended for them. There are around 1,800 persons taking shelter there.

Just after midnight yesterday (03), they captured the thieves – the three state officials in charge of the place – along with some of the stolen goods. They were later handed over to Matara police.

This morning, police, divisional secretariat and social services officials went to the school, broke the padlock and opened a room where bottled water, mats, towels, mattresses and other items were stored and distributed them to the people.

These displaced people have complained that they were not getting the relief items intended for them, and that the three officials had prohibited them from venturing out of the classrooms where they spent the nights after midnight.

The police, divisional secretariat and social services officials are investigating the three suspects.

By Indunil Kelum Jayaweera in Matara