Three remanded over alleged Rs. 120 Million Harak Kata bribery case

Attorney Rakhitha Rajapakshe, Charith Abeysinghe, and Aruna Sri Chathuranga have been remanded until July 3, 2026, after being produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court today (June 25) over an alleged bribery case linked to alleged organized crime figure Nandun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, alias “Harak Kata.”

The three suspects were produced before court following their arrest by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (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 earlier today. According to CIABOC, Varusha Hennadige Aruna Sri Chathuranga, a former director of Airport and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Ltd., was also arrested in connection with the same bribery case.

According to CIABOC, 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. The commission alleges that the amount was later reduced to Rs. 200 million and that the suspects accepted Rs. 120 million as an advance payment.

CIABOC stated that 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 case relates to the alleged solicitation and acceptance of the bribe, and that investigations are continuing.