Rakitha Rajapakshe, the son of former Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has been arrested by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) over alleged links with the underworld.
Additionally, Charith Abeysinghe, the organiser of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) for the Horana electorate has also been arrested by the Bribery Commission.
The arrested suspects have been accused of soliciting and accepting a bribe from ‘Madhushika Madhuwanthi,’ the wife of organized crime figure Nandun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, alias "Harak Kata," in 2023 while in Dubai.
According to the allegations, the suspects had demanded Rs. 500 million in exchange for arranging the removal of ‘Harak Kata's’ detention orders, preventing his alleged killing by police, transferring him from the high-security Boossa Prison to another prison and securing his release from investigations and related legal proceedings.
The demanded bribe was later reduced to Rs. 200 million and an advance payment of Rs. 120 million was allegedly requested and received.
The Bribery Commission stated that the arrests were made on these charges against:
Attorney Rakitha Nirmala Rajapakshe, the son of former Minister of Justice, Prison Affairs and Constitutional Reforms Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe
Charith Wasantha Kumara Abeysinghe, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) organiser for the Horana electorate
- Aruna Sri Warushahennadige, former Executive Director of Airport and Aviation Services Sri Lanka Limited
The suspects are scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court.
