A close associate of Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera has approached a local bicycle company to sell bicycles to the ministry at price of Rs. 9000 each and invoice them for Rs. 12,000 to get a commission of Rs.300 per bike.

The ministry plans to buy 6000 bicycles initially for this programme to get a cut of Rs.18 million from this deal .The market price of a bicycle is Rs.16, 000 and the company is losing Rs.4000 by under invoicing it to Rs.12, 000.

The Associate of Minster Amaraweera is still reported to have been trying to secure this deal with one of the leading cycle companies in Colombo.

Minister Amaraweera is the General Secretary of the UPFA. This attempted deal was a clear indication of continuing corruption by stooges of Rajapaksa regimeeven under the present good governance government as well, a civil society activist said.