Former State Minister Shasheendra Rajapaksa, who was arrested in connection with allegations of using his official authority to pressure state officials and unlawfully obtain Rs. 8.8 million in compensation for a property in Sevanagala, has been remanded until August 19. The order was issued by Colombo Chief Magistrate Thanuja Lakmali Jayatunga yesterday (6).
Rajapaksa was taken into custody when he appeared before the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to provide a statement regarding the incident. He was later produced before the Magistrate’s Chamber and subsequently remanded.
Sulochana Hettiarachchi, Assistant Director of Legal Affairs at CIABOC, informed the court that the compensation was related to a property—including a building—illegally constructed on land in the Kiriibban Wewa area of Sevanagala, which belongs to the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority. The property was damaged during the public protests on May 9, 2022.
She stated that officials initially refused to process the compensation claim, as the property was on state-owned land. However, the former State Minister is accused of abusing his authority to pressure officials at the Compensation Office to release the payment.
Hettiarachchi, along with Chief Inspector Abeysinghe, told the court that the suspect was arrested and charged with criminal misappropriation of property owned by a state institution—an offence punishable under Section 5(1) of the Bribery Act No. 12 of 1982, as amended by Act No. 28 of 1999.
Explaining the matter further, Hettiarachchi added:
“Your Honour, the property in question—located at No. 1839, Samagi Pura, Thuduwapara, Kiriinwewa, Sevanagala—was constructed by the then State Minister of Irrigation, Shasheendra Rajapaksa, on land owned by the Mahaweli Authority. It was damaged during the protest on 9.5.2022. Despite the Cabinet of Ministers, the Special Compensation Committee under the Ministry of Public Administration, and the Board of Directors of the Compensation Office rejecting the compensation request, the suspect used his influence to obtain the funds. This constitutes an act of corruption.”
