The Dark Underbelly of the LGN 2.0 Corruption Scandal Involving Sri Lanka Telecom and ICTA
Information is continuously coming to light regarding massive financial irregularities and
extensive political interference behind the Lanka Government Network 2 (LGN 2.0) project, a venture valued at nearly 4 billion rupees initiated during the Yahapalana administration (2017–2018). This exposé is based on official complaints and sworn testimonies that have already been submitted to the President and other highest-ranking authorities. According to these evidentiary records, serious allegations have been leveled that the project's tender was awarded under the direct influence of Harin Fernando, the former Minister of Telecommunication and Digital Infrastructure.
Awarding the Tender to an Inexperienced Entity
As per the testimonies on record, EZY Corporation—a company allegedly possessing zero prior experience in enterprise-level System Integration—was selected as the vendor for this monumental project. Complaints reveal that the primary rationale for awarding this tender was the close personal friendship between the owner of EZY Corporation and the then-subject Minister. While the physical contracts are believed to remain securely archived within the respective institutions, allegations mount that the entire procurement process was executed with a complete lack of transparency.
A Premeditated RFP and Israeli Technology
Documents forwarded to the President further illustrate that the Information and Communication Technology Agency (ICTA) drafted the Request for Proposal (RFP) specifically targeting a single, predetermined supplier. Consequently, the technical requirements were exclusively restricted to an Israeli product named 'Check Point.' Furthermore, investigative evidence exposes that EZY Corporation subsequently appointed Millennium Information Technologies (MIT)—a company that had actually submitted a competing bid for the same tender—as its subcontractor to execute the network operations.
Financial Misappropriation and Fraudulent Contract Amendments
Based on internal data and testimonies, an advance payment of 280 million rupees was initially disbursed by ICTA to Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT), which was then transferred by SLT to EZY Corporation. Due to severe service delays, EZY Corporation was liable to pay massive penalty fees to SLT. However, it is heavily alleged that responsible SLT officials fraudulently amended the foundational agreement on four separate occasions to deliberately waive these penalties, resulting in a colossal loss of revenue for the institutions.
Ghost Sites and Mysterious Payments
The most severe accusation surrounding this project relates to the network "sites." According to primary evidence, the contract's rental valuation was strictly based on 860 locations. However, in 2019, an additional 5 locations were installed illegally and entirely outside the contractual framework, with EZY Corporation receiving unauthorized payments for these "ghost sites."
According to the computer data log labeled "LGN_Loca_5.jpg" obtained by us, these 5 clandestine sites are directly linked to the Presidential Secretariat. As per the evidence log, the locations and their respective codes are as follows.
President's Residence - D84765
President Office Branches (Standard Chartered Bank Building) - D84758
President Office Branches (SEMA Building) - D84763
President Office Branches (President's Fund) - D84764
Smallholder Agribusiness Partnerships Programme - D84767
Relevant authorities have been notified that there are no official records or approvals within the institutions indicating who authorized the establishment of these 5 supplementary sites.
Privileges, Promotions, and Luxury Vehicles
Testimonies and documents further expose that top-tier management officials who facilitated this corrupt transaction were subsequently rewarded with lucrative promotions under the guise of an SLT restructuring program. It is alleged that even the position of Chief Executive Officer was granted as a direct payoff for supporting these illicit activities. Additionally, it has been revealed that luxury vehicles, leased using institutional funds, were illegally allocated for the personal use of politicians.
An Escape Plan Realized
Although the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) launched an inquiry into these large-scale irregularities, letters directed to the President note that the investigation was subsequently stalled. As of now, a top-ranking SLT official, identified as a prime suspect in the project’s corruption, has secured two years of unpaid leave and successfully fled the country.
Prior to his escape, relevant complaints had explicitly warned the authorities of the severe risk that the truth behind this multi-billion-rupee scam would be permanently buried if he were allowed to flee.
(This article has been compiled based on personal testimonies and evidentiary documents.)
