Tuesday Sep 30, 2025
Tuesday Sep 30, 2025
Thursday, 7 August 2025 03:46 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Colombo Magistrate’s Court yesterday ordered to remand former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa till 19 August.
The order was issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali Jayathunga, after being arrested on charges of corruption and conspiracy.
Rajapaksa was arrested by Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) officers at his residence in Nugegoda yesterday morning.
It was reported that he was taken into custody in connection with an incident where compensation was allegedly obtained through another individual for a damaged building on a plot of Government land in the Sevanagala-Kiriibban Wewa area, which was set on fire during the 2022 islandwide protests.
Several properties, including a building that had been illegally constructed on a plot of land belonging to the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority in the Sevanagala-Kiriibban Wewa area, were damaged during the public uprising that took place on 9 May 2022, the Bribery Commission stated.
During the compensation process for the damaged properties, it was identified that the property belonged to the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority, and thus the payment of compensation was rejected. However, it is alleged that Rajapaksa exerted undue influence on certain State officials assigned to the damage assessment office, using his official authority, in an attempt to obtain compensation in violation of the decision.
He is also accused of committing and conspiring to commit the offence of corruption in connection with obtaining the said compensation, as well as the unlawful and fraudulent use of Government property belonging to the Mahaweli Authority.
