Court rejects Namal Rajapaksa’s bail, remands him until September 30
COLOMBO ‒ The Fort Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday (23) rejected a bail application filed by lawmaker Namal Rajapaksa, elder son of former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is being held over an alleged bribery payment linked to the purchase of Airbus aircraft for SriLankan Airlines.
Fort Magistrate Pasan Amarasena ordered Rajapaksa, scion of the once-powerful Rajapaksa family the National Organizer of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) to remain in remand custody until September 30.
Rajapaksa was arrested under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act over allegations that a USD 200,000 (approximately Rs100 million) bribe was received in connection with the purchase of 10 Airbus aircraft by SriLankan Airlines.
When the case was taken up, prosecutors submitted a First Information Report (FIR) relating to the alleged bribery, naming four accused.
They are Kapila Chandrasena, former SriLankan Airlines chief executive officer, who is deceased; his wife Priyanka Neomali Wijenayake, Shameendra Rajapaksa; and Namal Rajapaksa.
The court noted that Neomali, who had previously been released on bail, had failed to appear before court and an open warrant had been issued for her arrest. Shameendra Rajapaksa is also reported to be at large, with an open warrant issued against him.
Namal, the fourth accused, was produced before court on September 16 and has remained in remand custody.
In rejecting the bail application, Magistrate Amarasena said the court was not in a position at this stage to consider granting bail, noting that separate proceedings relating to the alleged bribery were pending before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, following action by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), and before the Fort Magistrate’s Court, following an investigation by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The investigations are being conducted jointly by CIABOC and the CID under the Anti-Corruption Act No. 9 of 2023, the court was informed.
The magistrate further noted that the Chief Magistrate’s Court had been informed that investigations had revealed an alleged Rs 100 million bribe received by the fourth accused in connection with the aircraft purchase, along with alleged offences under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
He observed that, since related proceedings were pending before two Magistrates’ Courts, the matter could ultimately be consolidated and proceeded with as a single case before one court.
However, the Attorney General had not yet indicated whether an indictment would be filed, and the Fort Magistrate’s Court therefore could not determine the bail application at this stage, he said.
The magistrate also noted that Rajapaksa was already in remand custody until September 29 in connection with the CIABOC case. Granting bail in the Fort case could therefore create procedural complications.
The court further observed that the material submitted by the complainant did not establish whether a confirmation had been filed by the Director General of CIABOC under Section 149 of the Anti-Corruption Act.
Accordingly, Magistrate Amarasena directed the prosecution to provide the court with written clarification on three matters before Rajapaksa’s bail application could be reconsidered.
The prosecution was directed to state whether the investigations being conducted before the two courts would be consolidated and proceeded with as a single case; whether the Fort Magistrate’s Court case would be transferred to the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court; and whether the required confirmation had been filed by the CIABOC Director General under Section 149 of the Anti-Corruption Act.
The directions were issued to Deputy Solicitor General Janaka Bandara, who appeared for the Attorney General.
-ENCL
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