Rakhitha Rajapakshe, Charith Abeysinghe arrested by CIABOC

Attorney Rakhitha Rajapakshe, the son of former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe, and Charith Abeysinghe, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) organizer for the Horana electorate, were arrested today (June 25) by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

According to CIABOC, the arrests were made over allegations that they accepted a bribe in connection with alleged organized crime figure Nandun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, alias “Harak Kata.”

CIABOC stated that the suspects are accused of demanding a Rs. 500 million bribe in 2023 from Harak Kata’s wife, Madhushika Madhuwanthi, while they were in Dubai. According to the allegations, the amount was later reduced to Rs. 200 million, and they allegedly accepted Rs. 120 million as an advance payment.

The alleged bribe was sought in exchange for arranging to prevent Harak Kata from being killed while he was being held under detention orders issued by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), securing the removal of his detention orders, facilitating his transfer from the Boossa High Security Prison in Galle to another prison, and obtaining his release from ongoing investigations and related legal proceedings.

CIABOC said the allegations relate to the solicitation and acceptance of the alleged bribe, and the matter remains under investigation.

According to CIABOC, Varusha Hennadige Aruna Sri Chathuranga, a former director of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd. under the Civil Aviation Authority, has also been arrested in connection with the same bribery case.

The suspects are scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.