Yoshitha Rajapaksa Arrested by Bribery Commission, Granted Bail with Travel Ban
COLOMBO — Yoshitha Rajapaksa, the second son of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa, was arrested by the Bribery Commission this morning (17) but was later granted bail by the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court under strict conditions.
Colombo Additional Magistrate Lahiru Silva ordered Rajapaksa’s release on three personal sureties of Rs. 5 million each. As part of the bail conditions, the court also imposed a foreign travel ban on the accused. The decision followed extensive submissions from both the Bribery Commission and the defendant’s legal team.
The Allegations and Arrest
The arrest took place earlier today when Rajapaksa arrived at the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) to provide a statement regarding an ongoing probe.
According to CIABOC, the investigation centers on the 2006 recruitment of cadet officers to the executive branch of the Sri Lanka Navy. Specifically, the inquiry focuses on:
- Unqualified Recruitment: Allegations that individuals were recruited into the Navy without meeting the mandatory qualifications.
- Misuse of State Funds: Allegations that state funds were utilized outside of established legal procedures to finance training at the prestigious Royal Naval Academy in Dartmouth, United Kingdom.
The Bribery Commission stated that Rajapaksa was arrested on charges of aiding and abetting the offense of corruption related to his own enlistment and subsequent UK training. Following his arrest, he was immediately produced before the Colombo Chief Magistrate’s Court, leading to the afternoon’s bail ruling.
