The deadline for accepting complaints into serious acts of fraud, corruption and abuse of power has been extended till March 19.

The deadline was to end on March 14. President Maithripala Sirisena has appointed a Presidential Commission of Inquiry to investigate and inquire into serious acts of fraud, corruption and abuse of power, State Resources and Privileges, which had taken place from January 15, 2015, to December 31, 2018.

The commission said that the deadline to receive complaints to end on March 14. However, retired Supreme Court Judge A.H.M. Upaly Abeyrathne who is leading the commission, has decided to extend the deadline till March 19 considering a large number of complaints being received by the commission.

The decision to of extending the time period had been notified to the Presidential Secretariat, the Commission said. A total of 741 complaints had been received as of Monday (11).

A spokesman said that those three more complaints were handed over to the Special Police Unit for initial investigations. A complaint was received over a serious fraud alleged to have taken place during the tender procedure to procure tablet PCs for Advanced Level students in 2017 and an alleged fraud of over Rs 28 million at the Sri Lankan Football Federation in 2017, he said. (Darshana Sanjeewa)