Indictments over corruption allegations were formally served on Yoshitha Rajapaksa, son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and former Navy Commander Admiral of the Fleet Wasantha Karannagoda before the Colombo High Court on Thursday. The High Court judge then ordered both accused released on bail.
The indictments were filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption. Both Ada Derana and Hiru News reported the serving and the bail order; neither gave the bail conditions or the sums involved.
Thursday’s proceedings complete a step left outstanding when the charges were first filed on August 3. At that point the Colombo High Court was expected to issue summons in due course so the charges could be formally put to the accused. Serving the indictments starts the trial phase; it is not a finding on the allegations.
The allegations
CIABOC has filed eight charges in total. The case concerns Yoshitha Rajapaksa’s participation in the Royal Navy Young Officers’ Course at the Britannia Royal Naval College in the United Kingdom between September 1, 2006 and June 8, 2007.
Karannagoda is accused of causing a loss to the state by allegedly facilitating that participation without lawful authority while serving as Commander of the Sri Lanka Navy. Yoshitha Rajapaksa is charged with allegedly obtaining an undue benefit through the same arrangement.
Karannagoda was arrested by CIABOC in July. Yoshitha Rajapaksa was separately arrested by the commission in June over allegations concerning his appointment to the Navy.
He also remains before the Colombo High Court in a long-running money laundering case, in which hearings were put back to September 10 on the same day.
Neither man has commented publicly. Both are entitled to the presumption of innocence, and none of the allegations has been proven.
