Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has launched investigations into Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) which were reportedly registered without due procedure under the previous government.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Raja Gunaratne, Director of the National NGO Secretariat, said that NGOs had been registered without checking their funding sources and projects.
The NGO Secretariat, which monitors the registration and operation of NGOs, is under the purview of Sri Lanka's Ministry of Defence.
Since Gotabaya Rajapaksa's inauguration as President, the role of the defence department has expanded. It has gained control of over 30 state institutions including those that govern technology, telecommunications and media agencies.