The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered that a case filed against Parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act be taken up again on October 29.
Rajapaksa and the other suspects in the case appeared before the Magistrate when the complaint was called on Thursday (30), Ada Derana reported.
The case was taken up before Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama. Criminal Investigation Department officers had told the court at an earlier hearing that they were seeking the Attorney General’s advice on what legal action to pursue against Rajapaksa and the other suspects. When the matter was called on Thursday, investigators said those instructions had still not been received and asked for a further date, NewsFirst reported.
The Magistrate fixed October 29 and directed that the matter be recalled pending the Attorney General’s advice, also instructing investigators to report on the progress of the investigation.
The case names Rajapaksa alongside Nithya Senani Samaranayake, Sujani Bogollagama and Sudarshana Ganegoda, who served as directors of NR Consultancy (Pvt) Ltd. The prosecution alleges that Rajapaksa, while a Member of Parliament, committed an offence under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act by investing Rs. 15 million, said to have been earned through unlawful means, in the company.
Namal Rajapaksa, a member of parliament for Hambantota and national organiser of the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna, is the son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa. He has faced a series of court proceedings in recent months as investigations into the financial affairs of the former administration have continued, including a case over the Krrish tower project and matters raised before the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court.
He has consistently denied wrongdoing and has argued that legal action against opposition figures is politically motivated. Government members have rejected that characterisation, saying investigations are being pursued independently of political considerations.
The three-month adjournment leaves the file open while the investigation continues, with the next substantive step expected only when investigators report back to court on October 29.
