Six officials, including the Additional General Manager of the Sri Lanka Foreign Employment Bureau, have been suspended with immediate effect over a major fraud involving the illegal deployment of women for foreign employment without mandatory training.
A spokesperson confirmed yesterday that the suspensions follow an internal investigation, with the case now referred to the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
The scam, reportedly amounting to Rs. 2.5 billion, involved nearly 35,000 women being sent abroad from 2022 to August 2024 without completing compulsory pre-departure training.
Allegedly, between Rs. 100,000 and Rs. 140,000 was extracted from each woman as fraudulent processing fees, with some even issued forged certificates to falsely claim overseas work experience.
The women, many of whom lacked prior overseas employment, were exposed to unsafe working conditions and exploitation.
Authorities are now gathering evidence to support further legal action and ensure justice for the victims.
