Former Controller General of Immigration and Emigration Harsha Ilukpitiya yesterday (July 1) pleaded guilty before the Supreme Court to charges of Contempt of Court for failing to comply with a Supreme Court order related to the controversial outsourcing of visa services.
Ilukpitiya, who has been in remand custody for the past nine months, admitted guilt when the case was taken up before a three-judge bench comprising Justices Yasantha Kodagoda, Janak de Silva, and Arjuna Obeyesekere. The Court scheduled further proceedings for July 24 to determine the appropriate sentence.
The charges stem from Ilukpitiya’s failure to implement a Supreme Court order that suspended a Cabinet decision permitting the outsourcing of online and expatriate visa processing in Sri Lanka. His noncompliance triggered contempt proceedings under Section 9(7) of the Contempt of Court, Tribunal, or Institution Act No. 08 of 2024.
On September 25, 2024, the Supreme Court ordered Ilukpitiya to be remanded for the duration of the proceedings, citing a serious disregard for the authority of the judiciary.
