Yoshitha Rajapaksa banned from overseas travel in corruption case
COLOMBO -Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was banned Monday (27) from leaving Sri Lanka following his arrest on Saturday (25) for alleged money laundering.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Manjula Rathnayake, after an extensive hearing of the case, granted bail to Rajapaksa on two sureties of Rs 50 million each, and imposed the overseas travel ban, directing the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration to ensure its enforcement.
Rajapaksa was also ordered to appear at the Sri Lanka Police Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) on the last Sunday of each month as part of the bail conditions, and prohibited from influencing any witnesses connected to the case.
In delivering the decision, the Additional Magistrate cited insufficient evidence presented by the prosecution to justify continued remand, stating the bail was granted under the provisions of the Bail Act.
Yoshitha Rajapaksa (36), was arrested in the Rajapaksa family’s home territory of Beliatta in Southern Sri Lanka by CID officers on Saturday. Police spokesman Buddhika Manatunga said the arrest was made at the direction of the Attorney-General, who determined there was sufficient evidence to prosecute the younger Rajapaksa over an offence under the 2006 Ant-Money Laundering Act. The charges involve the purchase of a property valued at Rs 35 million in Ratmalana, during the term of his father’s presidency before 2015.
A former junior naval officer, Yoshitha, was hit with the travel ban after police said he was unable to explain the sources of income used to purchase the property.
The case against Yoshitha dates back years, but has received renewed impetus since President Anura Kumara Dissanayake – who has vowed to fight endemic corruption -won a landslide election victory.
Several members of the powerful Rajapaksa family and close associates have been charged with an array of offences over the years, including corruption and even murder – all of which are still pending in the courts.
Yoshitha had told investigators that he raised money to buy the property by selling a small bag of gems his grand-aunt, Daisy Forrest Wickremesinghe, referred to as ‘Daisy Achchi’ had given him. Daisy Forrest, the primary suspect in the case, was unable to recall how she acquired the precious stones when asked.
He was arrested in 2016 on a separate money laundering charge related to his purchase of a television network. Both cases have sat dormant for years.
His older brother Namal, a lawmaker in Sri Lanka’s parliament, also faces separate money laundering charges which have not yet gone to trial.
Cabinet spokesman Nalinda Jayatissa told reporters in Colombo over the weekend that the new government was providing more resources to the criminal investigations department to speed up prosecution.
“This is not a political witch hunt, but people voted us in to ensure that these dragging cases are concluded,” Jayatissa said.
The arrest came as Mahinda Rajapaksa on Friday (24) filed a fundamental rights petition in the Supreme Court seeking its intervention to reinstate his security, which was significantly reduced by the government last month.
-ENCL
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