Former Justice Minister Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe’s son, Attorney-at-Law Rakhitha Rajapakshe, and Horana Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) Electoral Organizer Charith Abeysinghe have been arrested by officers of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).
The arrests were made in connection with an alleged scheme involving the acceptance of bribes from organized crime figure Nadun Chinthaka Wickramaratne, alias “Harak Kata.”
Investigations have revealed that the alleged bribes were sought in exchange for preventing the police from killing Harak Kata. At the same time, he was being detained under Criminal Investigation Department (CID) detention orders, facilitating the removal of those detention orders, transferring him to a prison other than the Boossa High Security Prison in Galle, and securing his release from investigations and related legal proceedings.
Rakhitha Rajapakshe and Charith Abeysinghe are accused of demanding a bribe of Rs. 500 million from Madushika Madhuwanthi, the wife of Harak Kata, during a meeting in Dubai in 2023. It is alleged that the amount was later reduced to Rs. 200 million, with an advance payment of Rs. 120 million being requested.
Former Director of Airports and Aviation Services (Sri Lanka) Limited, Warusha Hennadige Aruna Sri Chathuranga, has also been arrested in connection with the same bribery investigation.
All three suspects were taken into custody on allegations of bribery and corruption-related offences.
