The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court has further remanded three suspects until July 28 in connection with an alleged large-scale bribery plot investigated by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

The suspects are Rakitha Rajapakshe, son of former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe; Charith Abeysinghe, a former Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) organiser for Horana; and Aruna Sri Warushahennadige, a former Executive Director of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited. Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama ordered the extension of custody after considering CIABOC’s submissions on Friday.

According to the Commission, the investigation centres on events alleged to have taken place in March 2023, while organised-crime figure Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, alias “Harak Kata,” was being held under CID detention orders following his arrest in Madagascar. Investigators allege the three suspects demanded a bribe of Rs. 500 million, claiming they could influence official processes — including preventing Harak Kata from being harmed in custody, lifting his detention orders, transferring him from the Boossa high-security prison and having investigations against him dropped. The demand was allegedly reduced, and Rs. 120 million is said to have been paid.

In the latest hearing, CIABOC told court that a portion of that Rs. 120 million bribe had allegedly been passed on to senior police officers through a Buddhist monk — a significant new claim that remains an untested allegation before the court. CIABOC Assistant Director (Legal) Anusha Sambandapperuma said investigators had obtained a voluntary video-recorded statement, along with a CD, from Maheshika Madhuwanthi, the wife of “Harak Kata,” and had taken into custody a mobile phone containing recorded conversations between her and the suspects after the alleged promises went unfulfilled.

The Commission said the investigation had also corroborated earlier claims by a witness known as Nirmala Bandara, alias “Herby,” who alleged that Abeysinghe had contacted him from India to discuss the bribe. Immigration records show the three suspects travelled to India together on March 3, 2023, and returned on March 7, 2023.

Update: all three granted bail

July 28: The Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court has granted bail to all three suspects.

Pronouncing the order, Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama directed that each suspect be released on a cash bail of Rs. 100,000 together with two personal bails of Rs. 1 million each. The personal sureties must submit certificates to court proving they hold income or assets equivalent to the value of the bail.

The suspects were barred from travelling abroad and ordered to surrender their passports to court. The Magistrate also directed CIABOC to report the progress of its investigation to court on December 8.

Defence counsel had submitted the bail applications at the previous hearing. CIABOC had opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the allegations and a certificate issued against the suspects by the Commission’s Director General under Section 149 of the Anti-Corruption Act.

At that earlier hearing, the Commission told court that the three had travelled to Dubai on March 25, 2023, where they allegedly collected the money from “Harak Kata’s” wife at the residence of the witness known as “Herbie,” and that they returned to Sri Lanka together on the same flight. The alleged Rs. 500 million demand was reduced to Rs. 200 million, of which Rs. 120 million was said to have been paid in two instalments — Rs. 100 million followed by a further Rs. 20 million — with the funds allegedly moved into Sri Lanka through the informal “undiyal” system. After the promises went unfulfilled, prosecutors say Abeysinghe refunded Rs. 20 million through a man identified as Midigama Lasantha, who has since been killed.

Update: Abeysinghe returned to remand after failing to meet bail conditions

July 28, evening: Charith Abeysinghe was taken back into prison custody hours after the bail order, having failed to satisfy the conditions the court had imposed.

Rakitha Rajapakshe and the third suspect, Aruna Sri Warushahennadige, completed the required bail formalities and were released. Abeysinghe was unable to do so and was returned to remand custody by prison officials.

The court’s order had required each suspect to provide a cash bail of Rs. 100,000 along with two personal sureties of Rs. 1 million each, with those sureties obliged to file certificates proving they held income or assets matching the value of the bail. Abeysinghe remains in custody until those conditions are met.

Update: Abeysinghe released after meeting bail conditions

July 30: Charith Abeysinghe was released from remand custody after satisfying the bail conditions imposed by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, Daily Mirror reported.

He had remained in prison for two days after bail was granted on July 28, having been unable to meet the required conditions at the time. With those conditions now fulfilled, he was released from prison on Thursday.

All three suspects granted bail in the case — Rakitha Rajapakshe, Abeysinghe and Aruna Sri Warushahennadige — are now out of custody. CIABOC has been directed to report the progress of its investigation to court on December 8.

The allegations remain before the court and have not been proven.