Thursday Nov 13, 2025
Thursday Nov 13, 2025
Thursday, 13 November 2025 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
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| Former Tourism and Aviation Minister Prasanna Ranatunga |
Former Tourism and Aviation Minister Prasanna Ranatunga, who was arrested yesterday by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption, was released on bail by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama.
The Magistrate granted bail with a cash bond of Rs. 100,000 and two sureties of Rs. 5 million each, while also issuing an order preventing Ranatunga from leaving the country.
In his order, the Magistrate observed that although the Bribery Commission had claimed the suspect attempted to contact witnesses by phone, no such statement had been officially recorded or included in the report submitted to court. The case was scheduled for hearing on 16 January.
The Bribery Commission said the arrest was linked to alleged financial misconduct during Ranatunga’s term as Tourism Minister in 2021. Investigations revealed that four institutions under the ministry—the Sri Lanka Tourism Development Authority, Sri Lanka Tourism Promotion Bureau, Sri Lanka Institute of Tourism and Hotel Management, and the Sri Lanka Convention Bureau—were required to obtain medical insurance for staff.
Although the insurance could have been arranged directly with the state-owned Sri Lanka Insurance Corporation, a private intermediary, My Insurance Brokers, was engaged instead. The firm is alleged to have received Rs. 4.7 million in commissions, causing a financial loss to Sri Lanka Insurance and providing an undue benefit to the broker.
