The Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption has told the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court that its investigation into former Moratuwa Municipal Council Mayor Saman Lal Fernando is complete.
Commission representatives gave the update on Friday when the case was called before Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama, Hiru News reported. CIABOC asked the court for a future date, saying steps were being taken to send the extracts of the case to the Commission for filing. The matter is due to be called again on 18 December.
The allegation
Fernando, who was released on bail, is alleged to have caused a loss to the state by making payments on 112 development project contracts of the Moratuwa Municipal Council to close associates in violation of financial regulations. The contracts fall under the Maga Neguma Urban and Rural Road Development Project.
He was arrested by the Bribery Commission in September 2025 over the allegations.
A third CIABOC case before the same magistrate
Friday was a busy day for the Commission in Chief Magistrate Bodaragama’s court. The same bench heard that CIABOC had concluded its preliminary investigation into former Foreign Employment Minister Manusha Nanayakkara over Israeli job placements, with further reports also due on 18 December. The Commission separately informed the court that indictments had already been filed in the High Court against former minister S.M. Chandrasena, closing out the magistrate’s court stage of that file.
The three matters sit at different points on the same track — investigation completed, position yet to be stated, and indictment filed — and two of the three now share a December return date.
Fernando’s case has not reached a charging decision. Completing an investigation commits the Commission only to deciding what to do next, and Friday’s order sets no deadline for that decision beyond the December date.
No other verified Sri Lankan newsroom had published its own report of Friday’s hearing at the time of writing.
