August 26, Colombo (LNW): Former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa has been ordered to remain in remand custody until August 29, as the legal proceedings against him continue in connection with a corruption investigation led by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
The ruling was delivered by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court, according to court sources.
Rajapaksa was taken into custody on August 06 at his residence in Nugegoda by officers from the Bribery Commission. His arrest is linked to an incident involving compensation claims for a property damaged during the island-wide protests that erupted in May 2022.
The property in question—a structure said to have been constructed without formal approval—was located on land owned by the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority in the Sevanagala–Kiriibban Wewa area. The building sustained fire damage during the public unrest on May 09, 2022, when widespread protests swept across the country in response to the economic and political crisis.
While the Bribery Commission stated that the land in question was state-owned and therefore ineligible for compensation, it is alleged that Rajapaksa sought to secure financial reimbursement through unofficial means.
Investigators claim he used his former position to pressure officials responsible for damage assessment into processing a compensation request, despite the property being legally tied to a government institution.
The accusations levelled against Rajapaksa include unlawfully attempting to influence public officials, conspiring to commit corruption, and improperly exploiting government-owned land for personal benefit.
