The Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court has imposed an overseas travel ban on Sarath Weerawansa, brother of National Freedom Front leader and former minister Wimal Weerawansa, in connection with an ongoing investigation into the alleged misuse of around 40 government vehicles, Newswire reported.
The order was issued over allegations that the vehicles were misused under prior arrangements, resulting in an estimated loss of Rs. 9 million to the state. The travel ban is intended to facilitate ongoing investigations.
Wednesday’s order extends a widening enforcement cycle around the Weerawansa family. Wimal Weerawansa himself faces multiple parallel tracks, including the active CIABOC Rs. 75 million assets case at the High Court, the Hayleys Rs. 6 billion defamation case in which the Kaduwela District Court issued an enjoining order on June 9, and the War Heroes’ Memorial criminal-force matter from May. His former media secretary Prasad Manju Senanayake was arrested by the FCID on June 5.
The vehicle-misuse probe opens a new accountability thread distinct from those tracks, focused specifically on the use of state-owned cars during the prior administration. Court papers had not previously named Sarath Weerawansa as a respondent; Wednesday’s order is the first formal travel-curtailment in the case.
Update: arrested in July, granted bail
July 28: Sarath Weerawansa has been granted bail by the Colombo Fort Magistrate’s Court, Ada Derana reported. He was produced before the court on Tuesday morning in connection with a bail application.
He had been remanded on July 15, 2026, following his arrest by the Financial Crimes Investigation Division (FCID) over the alleged misuse of state-owned vehicles belonging to the State Engineering Corporation.
According to Ada Derana, officers acting on the advice of the Attorney General first visited a house belonging to him in the Panadura area to arrest him, but he was not present. FCID officers subsequently received information that he was in Gampaha and made the arrest there on July 15.
The allegations remain before the court and have not been proven.
