Former Minister Piyasena Gamage granted bail

Former Minister Piyasena Gamage, who was arrested this morning (April 20) by CIABOC over corruption allegations, was released on bail today by the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.

The order was issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate Asanga S. Bodaragama after considering the facts presented by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) and the lawyers for the suspect.

Piyasena Gamage, the former Minister of Skills Development and Vocational Training, was arrested by CIABOC officers at around 10:30 AM today (April 20) in connection with an investigation launched following a complaint received by the Commission.

He is accused of abusing his powers as Minister in 2015 by recruiting 134 minor employees to the Department of Technical Education and Training solely from the Galle District, outside the approved recruitment procedure of the Department of Management Services.

He is also accused of pressuring the Director General of the Department of Technical Education and Training on several occasions to cancel the transfer of a director of the Jaffna Technical College who had been transferred under disciplinary orders, thereby granting an advantage to that director.

After considering the facts, the Chief Magistrate ordered that the suspect be released on two personal bails of Rs. 2 million each.

The court also imposed a foreign travel ban on Piyasena Gamage and warned him not to influence witnesses.

The case is scheduled to be taken up again on August 21, 2026.

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