July 07, Colombo (LNW): The Colombo High Court has formally served indictments on three individuals, including former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa, in connection with alleged corruption offences linked to the payment of compensation following the unrest of May 2022.
The case, instituted by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), was taken up before High Court Judge Ravindra Premaratne. Following the filing of the indictments, the court granted each of the accused bail on two personal sureties of Rs. 1 million.
The court also prohibited the three defendants from travelling overseas while proceedings are pending and directed that their fingerprints be obtained and submitted as part of the judicial process.
The matter has been scheduled for a pre-trial conference on August 05.
The two other accused in the case are Sepalika Saman Kumari and Keerthi Bandara Kotagama.
According to the prosecution, the defendants are accused of engaging in, and facilitating, corrupt practices by allegedly exerting undue influence over officials attached to the Office for Reparations to secure compensation amounting to Rs. 8.85 million.
CIABOC alleges that the compensation was awarded for a property in Kiribbanwewa, Sevanagala, including an unauthorised structure built on land belonging to the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority, which sustained damage during the violence of 9 May 2022. Investigators contend that the payment was approved despite an earlier decision rejecting the compensation claim, forming the basis of the charges now before the court.