Former Justice Minister Drawn Into Bribery Probe

04-Jul-2026

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Former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe has come under investigation in connection with an alleged Rs. 120 million bribery case involving his son, lawyer Rakhitha Rajapakshe, SJB Horana organiser Sarith Abeysinghe, and former Civil Aviation Director Aruna Varuna.

The Colombo Chief Magistrate's Court on July 3 rejected the bail applications of the three suspects and remanded them until July 17.

According to CIABOC, the suspects allegedly accepted the bribe from the wife of underworld figure 'Harak Kata' (Nandun Chinthaka) while he was in CID custody. Investigators informed court that the suspects travelled to Dubai between March 25 and 29, 2023, while Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe was also in Dubai during the same period.

The Commission is investigating the purpose of the former minister's visit, his meetings there, and any possible links to the bribery allegations. It further claimed that part of the bribe money was transferred through intermediaries near the former minister's residence. The defence denied the allegations, but the court ruled that no exceptional grounds had been presented to justify bail.