The Hambantota Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday acquitted Hambantota Bird Park owner Ajith Gallage along with a warehouse manager and another employee, clearing all three of charges linked to the alleged illegal importation of motorcycles worth around Rs. 250 million.
The case had been filed on allegations that 21 motorcycles, including 11 high-powered bikes, were illegally brought into the country. Officers of the Criminal Investigation Department seized the motorcycles from the Hambantota Bird Park on July 12 last year and took two park employees into custody at the time. Mr. Gallage was arrested following further investigations and remanded before being released on bail.
After hearing the case, the court acquitted all three suspects of the charges, which included importation, possession and assembly of the motorcycles. The CID had pursued the matter as a customs and unauthorised-import prosecution.
The acquittal closes one of the more high-profile vehicle-import cases of the past year. The Hambantota Bird Park is a privately operated tourist attraction in the country’s south. The court ruling does not affect any separate proceedings, and CID has the option to seek further review through the Attorney General’s Department.
Update (May 7, 2026): Sri Lanka Police have denied that the suspects were acquitted, saying the Hambantota Magistrate’s Court instead ordered the proceedings to continue as two separate cases — a customs prosecution for the motorcycle imports and a narcotics prosecution for the cannabis charge. The CCIB says its case against Mr. Gallage and the two other suspects remains active.
