Sri Lanka Police on Thursday denied media reports that the owner of a Hambantota bird park had been acquitted in a case involving the illegal importation of high-powered motorcycles, saying the prosecution is continuing.
In a clarification issued on May 7, police said reports stating the suspect had been cleared by court were inaccurate. The Central Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) is continuing legal proceedings against the bird park owner from Nagarawewa, Hambantota, and two other suspects over the alleged illegal importation of high-capacity motorcycles and possession of cannabis.
The case was taken up before the Hambantota Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday (6), where investigators requested permission to proceed separately under the Customs Ordinance for the motorcycle imports and through a separate case relating to the possession of cannabis.
Police said the court had concluded preliminary proceedings and ordered the matters to continue as two separate cases. “The suspects had neither been acquitted nor released as reported by some media outlets,” the statement said.
The clarification contradicts reporting on May 6 that bird park owner Ajith Gallage and two employees had been acquitted of all charges relating to the alleged illegal importation of 21 motorcycles, including 11 high-powered bikes, valued at around Rs. 250 million. Officers of the CCIB had seized the motorcycles from the Hambantota Bird Park on July 12, 2025.
Police did not give a date for the next hearing. The two parallel cases — customs prosecution for the motorcycle imports and a narcotics prosecution for the cannabis charge — will now proceed independently.
