September 04, Colombo (LNW): Former Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa, currently held in remand custody over alleged misuse of public resources, has submitted a fresh bail application to the Colombo High Court in an attempt to overturn a previous decision by the Magistrate’s Court denying his release.
The matter was taken up before High Court Judge Lanka Jayaratne, who, after hearing initial submissions, scheduled further consideration of the bail application for October 02, allowing time to examine the circumstances and legal arguments surrounding the case.
Rajapaksa was taken into custody on 6 August by officials of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), in relation to a compensation payment amounting to Rs. 8.85 million. The payment had reportedly been claimed for a property in Sevanagala that was under the purview of the Mahaweli Authority and had sustained damage during the wave of public unrest in recent years.
According to investigators, the compensation was secured under questionable circumstances, allegedly involving undue influence exerted on officials at the Damage Assessment Office. The case falls under the provisions of the Public Property Act, which prescribes stringent penalties for offences involving state assets.
After his initial arrest, Rajapaksa was remanded by order of the Colombo Chief Magistrate. A subsequent bail request made to the Magistrate’s Court was rejected on August 12. In response, his legal team lodged a revision application with the High Court, arguing that the earlier decision should be set aside and that their client be granted release pending trial.
