Overseas travel ban on Patali and Keheliya temporarily lifted

The Colombo High Court today temporarily lifted the foreign travel bans imposed on Health Minister Keheliya Rambukwella and former Minister Patali Champika Ranawaka.

When the case against Rambukwella was called before High Court Judge Nawaratne Marasinghe, the defence attorney made a request to temporarily relax the travel ban as his client needs to travel overseas to attend the Commonwealth Health Ministers’ Meeting 2023 and other official work.

Accepting the request, the high court judge allowed Rambukwella to lift the travel ban from May 23 to November 30 and ordered the Controller-General of Immigration & Emigration to let him travel overseas.

The case had been filed by the Bribery Commission against Rambukwella, former Chairman of Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) Vimal Rubasinghe and former Director General of SLRC Chandrapala Liyanage, alleging that they had misappropriated Rs. 1 million by purchasing 600 GI pipes in 2014 during Rambukwella’s tenure as the Mass Media Minister.

Meanwhile, the overseas travel ban on Ranawaka too was relaxed from May 13 to September 23 by Colombo High Court Judge Damith Thotawatta.

Ranawaka’s attorney told the court that his client wishes to travel to Canada to visit his daughter, thus seeking a court order directing the Controller-General of Immigration & Emigration to temporarily lift the travel ban.

The former minister is accused of concealing evidence and fabricating evidence related to the 2016 road accident in Rajagiriya, which resulted in serious injuries to a youth.