Basnayake reveals Keheliya’s daughter tied to state fund misuse

Nishantha Bandara Basnayake, who served as the coordinating secretary to former Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, informed Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali today (May 26) that all the money received into his account had been collected by Amali Rambukwella, the daughter of Keheliya Rambukwella.

He further stated that although an account had been opened in his name, all documents related to the account, including the passbook, were in the possession of Amali Rambukwella. This was conveyed to the court by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) when presenting Basnayake before the court.

CIABOC informed the court that Nishantha Bandara Basnayake, who served as the coordinating secretary to Keheliya Rambukwella, was arrested in connection with an incident where, during the period 2021–2023 when Keheliya Rambukwella served as the Minister of Mass Media, Health, and Environment, 15 individuals were recruited to his personal staff and the salaries and overtime payments made to them were allegedly used for personal expenses and political activities, causing a loss of over Rs. 8 million to the government.

Officials of the CIABOC, presenting a report on the progress of the investigations, stated that the suspect was arrested after he voluntarily appeared before the commission and gave a statement regarding the incident.

However, the officials informed the court that the suspect had knowingly allowed another party to use the account under his name, thereby giving authorization for the alleged crime. Due to the ongoing investigations, the Commission requested that the suspect be placed in remand custody.

The suspect’s lawyer, presenting facts on his behalf, argued that while his client had been arrested and produced in court as a suspect, he should in fact be treated as a witness in this case. The lawyer stated that his client voluntarily went to the CIABOC and disclosed all details regarding the account, even without being summoned.

He also noted that the passbook, bank cards, and all other items related to the account were in the possession of Keheliya Rambukwella’s daughter, and that his client had no knowledge about who was depositing money into the account.

The lawyer therefore requested that his client, who should be treated as a witness in the case, be released on bail.

After considering all the submissions, the Magistrate ordered the suspect to be remanded until June 3, 2025 and directed the CIABOC to submit a progress report on the investigation on that date.