The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has told the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that its preliminary investigation into former Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara is complete.
Commission representatives gave the update on Friday when the case was called before Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama, and asked for a future date on which to inform the court what legal action they intend to pursue, NewsFirst reported. The Chief Magistrate ordered further reports to be filed on 18 December.
Nanayakkara, who was arrested over the allegations and later released on bail, appeared in open court.
The allegation
The case concerns Nanayakkara’s conduct as Labour and Foreign Employment Minister under the previous government, when Sri Lanka was placing workers in Israel’s agricultural sector. He is alleged to have improperly used his position in that process, and to have exerted influence over officials of the Sri Lanka Bureau of Foreign Employment.
A four-month gap before the next step
Friday’s order sets no date for a charging decision. The Commission has only undertaken to tell the court in December what it proposes to do, which leaves the question of whether Nanayakkara is indicted unresolved for close to four months.
The proceedings have moved slowly through the year. In May the same court asked the Commission to state its position on the former minister’s request to have his overseas travel ban temporarily lifted so he could seek medical treatment in Singapore, with a ruling set for 2 June. Nanayakkara was separately questioned during the same period over alleged informal “undiyal” money transfers linked to overseas remittances.
His brother, Thissara Nanayakkara, faces unrelated charges in a Finland job-fraud case in which authorities allege nearly Rs. 87 million was taken from 48 people on the promise of employment abroad.
Searches of Ada Derana, the Daily Mirror, Hiru News, EconomyNext, the Island and Daily FT found no other verified newsroom carrying Friday’s hearing at the time of writing.
