Former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa and two other defendants were served indictments before the Colombo High Court on Tuesday over alleged corruption-related offences linked to compensation payments made following the unrest of May 9, 2022.
The indictments, filed by the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC), were taken up before Colombo High Court Judge Ravindra Premaratne.
The court ordered that all three defendants be released on two personal bails of Rs. 1 million each. An overseas travel ban was also imposed, preventing them from leaving the country while the case is pending.
Judge Premaratne further directed that the fingerprints of the accused be obtained and submitted to court.
The matter has been fixed for a pre-trial conference on August 5.
The other two defendants in the case have been identified as Sepalika Saman Kumari and Keerthi Bandara Kotagama.
According to CIABOC, the accused face charges of committing and aiding and abetting acts of corruption by allegedly using official influence over officials attached to the Office for Reparations to obtain compensation amounting to Rs. 8.85 million.
The allegations relate to compensation granted for a property, including an illegally constructed building, located on land owned by the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority in Kiribbanwewa, Sevanagala. The property was reportedly damaged during the violence of May 9, 2022.
The prosecution claims the compensation was approved despite an earlier decision rejecting the claim for the property.
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