CIABOC seeks High Court order to cancel bail granted to Rakitha Rajapakshe and two others
The Colombo High Court has fixed February 9, 2027, to hear revision petitions challenging the bail granted to Rakitha Rajapakshe, Charith Abeysinghe and Aruna Warushahennadige in an alleged Rs. 120 million bribery case.
The petitions were filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), seeking to overturn the Colombo Magistrate’s Court decision to grant bail to the three suspects, who had been remanded over allegations of accepting bribes from the wife of Nandun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, also known as “Harak Kata”, an alleged major drug trafficker.
The revision petitions were taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Lal Bandara.
After considering the submissions, the judge ordered the respondents to file any objections to the petitions before November 14, 2026.
The Bribery Commission was also ordered to file any counter-objections before January 28, 2027.
Accordingly, the court fixed February 9, 2027, for the hearing of the revision petitions.
The three suspects are attorney Rakitha Rajapakshe, the son of former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe; former Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Horana organiser Charith Abeysinghe; and former Executive Director of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd., Aruna Warushahennadige.
They were arrested by the Bribery Commission on June 25, 2026, and were subsequently granted bail by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama on July 28, 2026.
According to investigators, the suspects allegedly solicited and received Rs. 120 million from Harak Kata’s wife in exchange for arranging assistance while he was in detention.
The alleged assistance included removing detention orders issued by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), arranging his transfer from Boossa High Security Prison in Galle to another prison, and securing his release from ongoing investigations and legal proceedings.
The suspects are also accused of promising to prevent Harak Kata from being killed while he was held under detention orders.