The Road Development Authority (RDA) has rejected allegations by Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Parliamentarian Nalin Bandara that nearly Rs. 380 million from its main account had been wrongfully paid to contractors.

Bandara alleged on 26 April that payments previously made to contractors in 2023 had been made again under the current Government’s online payment system operated through the RDA headquarters.

He further claimed that letters had been sent to contractors requesting the return of the duplicated payments.

However, in a statement issued on 27 April, the RDA dismissed the allegations as “completely baseless” and said they had been made while concealing the facts.

The Authority stressed that no double payment had been made from any RDA account and that the RDA had not suffered any financial loss.

Meanwhile, Deputy Minister of Transport and Highways Prasanna Gunasena, responding to questions at a media briefing on 27 April, also denied that any double payment had been made from the RDA’s main account or any related account.

“Not a single cent has been double paid from the RDA account or any other account. We state that clearly. If MP Nalin Bandara is saying otherwise, those claims are completely false,” he said.

When asked whether such a payment had occurred through the Bank of Ceylon, Gunasena said: “That has to be asked from the BOC.”

He explained that when the RDA is required to make payments, funds are transferred to another account and instructions are issued to pay the relevant parties.

“If an overpayment has occurred due to a mistake by a bank, that is not the responsibility of the RDA. It is not RDA money. It may be a matter between a bank and a contractor,” he added.