The Colombo Magistrate’s Court has ordered the release on bail of SLPP National Organiser and Member of Parliament Namal Rajapaksa, who had been remanded in connection with the controversial ‘Krrish’ deal.

Accordingly, Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama ordered the release of accused on a cash bail of Rs. 100,000 and three personal sureties of Rs. 5 million each.

The Magistrate also imposed an overseas travel ban on the parliamentarian and warned him against intimidating or influencing witnesses.

Thereafter, the Magistrate directed that the case be called again on November 6.

During a previous court hearing, attorneys representing Namal Rajapaksa submitted a bail application seeking his release, citing the serious health conditions of both his parents as an exceptional ground for granting bail.

However, the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) had raised objections to the bail application.

After considering the submissions made by both parties, Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama delivered his order today, stating: "In accordance with Section 149(1) of the Anti-Corruption Act, exceptional circumstances must be established to release a suspect on bail. Accordingly, the grounds presented in support of the bail application are accepted by this Court as constituting exceptional circumstances."

Accordingly, the Magistrate subsequently ordered the release of Namal Rajapaksa on bail.

However, as a Colombo High Court Trial-at-Bar bench had previously ordered that the suspect, Namal Rajapaksa, be produced before the court through the prison authorities on November 19, he was escorted back to prison by prison officers.

After considering the submissions made by both parties, Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama delivered the bail order today.

Namal Rajapaksa was arrested by the Bribery Commission on September 04 and subsequently produced before the court, which ordered his remand over allegations that he had accepted a bribe of Rs. 70 million to facilitate the allocation of a plot of land at Transworks Square in Colombo to Indian company Krrish for a multi-purpose development project.

However, MP Namal Rajapaksa will remain in remand custody in connection with a separate case related to the Airbus bribery scandal.