Saturday Jul 04, 2026
Saturday Jul 04, 2026
Saturday, 4 July 2026 00:51 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
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Former Navy Commander Admiral of the Fleet |
The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court yesterday granted bail to former Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy, Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda, who is facing corruption-related allegations over the 2006 recruitment of Yoshitha Rajapaksa to the Sri Lanka Navy.
Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama ordered Karannagoda’s release on two sureties of Rs. 2.5 million each and imposed a foreign travel ban.
The case, filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), alleges that Yoshitha Rajapaksa was recruited as an Executive Branch Midshipman despite not meeting the prescribed recruitment qualifications. It further alleges that, contrary to established recruitment procedures, he was sent to undergo training at the Britannia Royal Naval College in the United Kingdom at State expense.
Delivering the order, the Magistrate held that the mere fact investigations were continuing was not, by itself, sufficient grounds to remand a suspect. The Court further observed that there was no evidence to suggest Karannagoda had attempted to influence witnesses or interfere with the investigation and found that the prosecution had failed to present sufficient grounds to justify his continued remand.
Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the first suspect in the case, was arrested by the CIABOC on 17 June 2026 after appearing before the Commission to provide a statement in connection with the same investigation.
He was subsequently produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, which ordered his release on three personal bails of Rs. 5 million each. The court also imposed a foreign travel ban on him and directed him to surrender his passport.
