Shasheendra Rajapaksa arrested

Former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa was taken into custody this morning (August 6) by officials from the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

He was arrested at his residence in Nugegoda as part of an ongoing investigation. Following his arrest, Rajapaksa was taken to the Bribery Commission, where he is currently providing a statement.

According to reports, several properties including a building allegedly constructed illegally on land belonging to the Mahaweli Authority in the Kiriibban Wewa area of Sewanagala were damaged during public unrest that erupted after the former government’s crackdown on the “Aragalaya” protest on May 9, 2022.

Although compensation was initially denied on the grounds that the damaged property belonged to the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority, it is alleged that Shasheendra Rajapaksa used his official position to exert undue influence on certain government officials at the compensation office to authorize payment, violating that determination.

He is further accused of committing and conspiring to commit acts of corruption by obtaining compensation for this property, as well as misusing property belonging to the Mahaweli Authority. Since the land falls under the jurisdiction of the Mahaweli Authority, this constitutes a punishable offence under Section 5(1) of the Offences Against Public Property Act No. 12 of 1982 (as amended by Act No. 28 of 1999).

Shasheendra Rajapaksa is scheduled to be produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court.

Last month, the Bribery Commission also recorded a statement from Rajapaksa in connection with a separate case involving the controversial import of a substandard shipment of organic fertilizer from a Chinese company under the previous government.

The import reportedly caused significant financial losses to the state.

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UPDATE – 04:00 PM:

Former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa has been remanded until August 19, 2025, after being produced before the Colombo Magistrate’s Court.

The order was issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali Jayatunga after considering submissions made by officials of the Bribery Commission and the defence counsel.